Leah's Journey
by Lil' Dinky
Summary: A story about Leah and her life post Breaking Dawn. Fate seems to hold a grudge against her for some unknown reason. Is it impossible for her to find friendship and happiness again? Will she be unable to imprint on anyone? All canon couples, Leah's POV.
1. Welcome to my life

**Leah's Journey**

**AN: **_Hello! Welcome to my little story about Leah Clearwater. I hated how everyone got a perfect, happy ending in the books except for her. I mean, when you think about it, she was probably going to be even more miserable after the end of Breaking Dawn, because even Jacob was happy again. Poor girl! So, this is just going to be a story about her journey back to happiness again. All canon couples, take place after Breaking Dawn. This is my first Twilight fic, and I'm just writing this on the fly. Please feel free to review, flame, criticize, or give suggestions or ideas. I try to respond to all reviewers in person. so thanks in advance for reading this!_

_On with the story!  
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_This is your life, Leah Clearwater. Welcome to hell._

I scowled at the ceiling of my bedroom in the weak early morning light, wishing I was more like my little brother, who could sleep 18 hours straight without twitching. At least, if you didn't count snoring like a rusty chainsaw twitching. Sleep came harder for me, probably because I craved it's sweet, blank oblivion so much more.

I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my face in my pillow. Honestly, I was grateful to be sleeping in a bed at all. A few months ago, I hadn't had much choice but to crash under the trees until Nessie-the-half-human-wonder-child was born and everything got straightened out between the two packs. I didn't count the offer of sleeping on a bloodsucker bed as being a choice.

But now, with the Volturi threat taken care of- in the most boring possible way, in my opinion, too- everything had turned out just hunky-dory peachy keen.

For everyone else, that is.

My life was still stuck in the crapper. And it wasn't showing any signs of getting better, either. Besides the fact that I was still Jacob's second-in-command, Quil and Embry had broken off from the La Push pack to join ours. The "Vamp Pack", as Embry so eloquently put it. Quil wasn't such a nuisance, since he still spent the majority of his time with his precious Claire, but Embry was another story. He claimed it was too boring to hang around Quil and a two-year-old, and I guess I couldn't really blame him for that. But did he really have to hang around the Cullen's all the time, too?

Not that I wanted to be around the Cullens at all. But again, what kind of choice did I have? Jacob spent every moment of his free time there, fawning over his little half-breed, and Seth wasn't any better. My own _brother_ could hardly wait to get over to the leeches' house everyday. I still couldn't believe how much he actually _liked_ them.

If it was just them, I would've let them go play best friends with the bloodsuckers without me. But now my mother was involved, thanks to Charlie Swan. Lord knows, I was glad to see her looking happy again for the first time since my dad passed away, but this was a pretty steep price. My mom was wrapped up in Charlie, and Charlie was wrapped up in his freaky vampire daughter and Nessie the Wonder Child. Which meant that he spent the majority of his time with them, and naturally, so did my mom.

And today was going to be no exception.

"Hey, Leah, you awake?" Seth asked, poking his head around my door without even knocking.

"Mmrph," I mumbled into my pillow, willing him to go away. Stupid kid was altogether too chipper in the morning.

"Jake and I are heading over to the Cullens. You coming?"

I turned my head just enough to fix him with a one-eyed death glare. "Seth, it's barely eight in the morning. Why the hell are you going over there so early?"

"Leah, they don't sleep, remember? And Nessie gets up by seven or so. Jake wants to get there before Charlie shows up for the day." He leaned against the doorframe and grinned enthusiastically at me. "There's a big game on today, and Emmett just got a huge, new flat screen to watch it on."

I groaned, burying my face in the pillow again. Great. That just meant Charlie was going to make sure he got to watch all the games at the Cullens. And that meant Mom would be there every game day, too.

"So, should we wait for you, or are you gonna come with Mom later?"

"The less time I spend at the leeches' stinking house, the better," I snapped, rolling out of bed. Seth frowned at me, unhappy as always over my lack of enthusiasm. The crazy moron had some stupid idea that I shouldn't have a problem with the vamps anymore.

Right. Because my life taking a tailspin down the dumpster had _nothing _to do with them.

"Thought you were getting better..." Seth's muttering trailed off as he pushed away from my door and moved off down the hallway. I snorted, grabbing the first clothes from the top of my laundry basket and heading for the shower.

Getting better. What a laugh. How, exactly, was I supposed to be getting better? Yeah, things were easier being out of Sam's pack, and out of his head, but nothing had really changed. I'd been stupid to hope for it.

But I had hoped, back before Nessie the Wondervamp had been born. I'd hoped that when Jacob ran off again to deal with his own pain, I'd have gotten the courage to take off from La Push myself. Instead, all of Jake's pain had disappeared in one monumental instant, and I was still here, still hurting, still tied to La Push.

I scowled at the shower head, cranking the water as hot as it would possibly go. It still felt barely lukewarm to me, and I longed for the days of normal body-temperature. Scalding hot water would've felt really good right about now. Maybe it would've stopped me from feeling so much inner pain. Instead, all I got was tepid water streaming over my heated skin, and I rested my head against the shower wall with a sigh of pure self-loathing.

I was such a horrible person. The truth was, right after Jacob had imprinted, I was furious. Furious with him for betraying us by imprinting on a half-vampire, furious at him for fixing everything so perfectly, furious at him for being happy when I was not. Once again, I was alone in my misery, and I'd lost the one person who understood exactly what kind of hell I was living in. I hated myself for that. I hated myself for the apologetic, almost _ashamed_ look on his face when he'd told me about his bond with Nessie. I hated, more than anything, how well he understood my reaction to the news.

Jacob tried not to talk to me too much yet, and I knew it was just because he was afraid of finding out how deeply he'd betrayed my trust. First Sam, and then him. Not that we were anything more than friends, but still. Fate seemed to like kicking me in the gut after I'd fallen down the stairs.

At least I was still his second-in-command. For now. With Quil and Embry around, I figured it was only a matter of time until my demotion. So, I was being as careful as I could to keep my bitterness in check. I didn't have to be a living nightmare to be around if I tried hard at it.

The hot water had long since run out, and I finally stepped out of the shower and scrubbed myself dry with more force than necessary. Without thinking too much about it, I threw on a tanktop and a pair of jeans and swiped the fog off the mirror to scowl at my reflection.

I hated my short-cropped hair, hated the reason for it. I used to have such long, beautiful hair before my transformation. My mother had cried, big, fat, silent tears sliding down her cheeks, when she chopped it all off for me as I sat perfectly still in our kitchen. I had been too numb with shock to cry at the time.

The smooth, bronze skin of my face looked stretched over my cheekbones, my face too thin. Once, I'd had dimples that peeked out whenever I smiled. I hadn't seen those dimples in many, many months. My dark, vacant eyes looked too big for my gaunt face, and I turned away with a heavy sigh.

Would that face be the one staring out at me forever? What a bitter harpy I'd become.

Silently, I sat at the kitchen table and tried to force myself to eat the cold cereal that tasted more like sawdust than anything in my mouth. Unlike my brother, who was always ravenously hungry, there were too many meals I skipped because I had no appetite. Sam – I still couldn't think his name without a painful stab in my chest- had told me once that I needed to eat extra to keep up with both of my forms. He was right, but I didn't care.

Mom watched me warily out of the corner of her eye as she packed up a small basket of things to take with us to the leeches' house. I knew I worried her, had been worrying her for a long time now, so I worked harder at getting the cereal down my throat.

"You know you don't have to go to the Cullen's today, Leah," Mom said finally when my last bite was chewed and swallowed. I bit back a sarcastic retort to that, knowing how much she didn't like leaving me home alone to mope. Any company for me was good company, in her mind.

"It's okay. I don't mind so much," I lied through my teeth, rinsing out my bowl in the sink. "Anyway, we'd better get going if we're going to make it there for the pre-game shows."

I headed out to the car, but Mom stopped me with a frown.

"Uh, Leah, is that what you're wearing?"

I looked down at myself in confusion. It seemed like a perfectly acceptable outfit to me. Nothing like what the fortune-telling bloodsucker would be caught dead in, but I didn't have anyone to impress. I looked back up at Mom with questioning eyes.

"It's barely March, Leah. Normal people can't go waltzing around outside in a tanktop yet," she stated seriously, giving me a very pointed look.

Oh. Yeah, she was right. Once I got to the Cullen's, things like that wouldn't matter, but if anyone saw me on the way there, it could raise some awkward questions. Sighing, I grabbed my ratty, old hoodie and yanked it on roughly.

"There. Do I blend in with the humans now?" I snapped, and was immediately sorry when she flinched. Mom hated being reminded that I, her precious only daughter, was the only female werewolf in the history of the world, as far as we knew. Once again, Fate taking a pot-shot at me for some unknown reason. I started to mutter an apology, but she brushed me off.

"Nevermind. Let's just go meet up with Charlie," she muttered.

The drive was silent, which gave me ample time to go over, yet again, all the reasons I absolutely loathed myself. Honestly, if I wasn't such a coward, I would've managed to off myself by now.

The huge white house loomed up in front of us in the cold, misty rain, and I sank down farther in my seat with a scowl. Great. So, what did you do with your weekend, Leah? Oh, I hung out with my mortal enemies and thought about how much I hated myself.

My life officially sucked.

Esme was already at the door, welcoming us in with her trademark, sugary-sweet smile. I did my best not to look at her, because she always made me squirm guiltily inside for being such an unfriendly witch all the time. Seth would- and did, on occasion- fall over his own feet to help her, and deep down I knew I couldn't blame him. A sweeter, gentler person I'd yet to meet. But she was still a _vampire_, and I couldn't just let that slide.

Inside the door, Edward caught my eye and I looked away as quickly as possible, suddenly doing my best to say "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" backwards in my head over and over again. It was bad enough my whole pack was in my head when I was a wolf. I didn't need some bloodsucker hearing how badly part of me wanted to like his surrogate mother. The problem was, I knew he did hear, and I couldn't help but wonder if that's why he was more tolerant of me than the rest of his family.

As always, Alice eyed me with that same tight-lipped look she gave me everytime I came over. I didn't need to be a mind-reader to guess how badly she was dying to make me over. Once upon a time, I might have been glad to let her do it. Now I just didn't care, and I buried my hands deeper into the pocket of my tattered hoodie.

As I suspected, Charlie was already there, engrossed in the pre-game shows on Emmett's impressive new TV, but he detached himself long enough to come over to greet us. He _must_ be in love. I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes when I didn't think anyone was looking.

Jake and Seth were near the stairs, engrossed in some game with the freaky Wonder Child. I wandered over to them, unnoticed by anyone else in this mixed-up "family", to get a better look at what Nessie had talked them into now.

They were playing with an impressive set of new barbie dolls, and I couldn't stop the snort of laughter at the serious look on Jacob's face as he made his two dolls "talk" to each other. Instantly, three pairs of eyes stared up at me from the floor.

"Oh, hey, Leah!" Seth said enthusiastically, bounding to his feet. "Did you and Mom just get here?" I nodded, but he was already heading towards the kitchen before I could say a word. "Great! Well, I'll just go say hi to her, then. You can take my place!"

Nice. Very nice. I scowled after him, just barely stopping myself from sticking my tongue out at him like I had when we were younger. He knew how hard I worked to avoid being around the half-breed freak.

"It'll be fun, Leah. Play with us!" Nessie implored, and I had to look away from her pretty, brown eyes. It took a lot of hard work to keep from falling under her spell.

"Thanks, but I think I need some fresh air," I replied tightly, wrinkling up my nose. I still didn't understand how Jake and Seth could get used to the sickly-sweet, icy stench permeating the house.

"Please?" Nessie pouted prettily, and I was hard pressed to shake my head and start backing away. Jacob, in a rare moment of clarity, patted Nessie's head and smiled at me sympathetically.

"It's okay, Nessie. I don't think Leah really likes dolls. The two of us can play instead, okay?" he said, and she sighed but agreed readily enough with him. I flashed him a tiny, grateful smile before I slipped quietly out of the door.

I was too busy taking deep breaths of the wonderfully clean air to notice that I'd almost run straight into Rosalie and Bella, just getting back from a quick hunting trip. Two pairs of topaz eyes regarded me, one cool with dislike, the other tentatively friendly. Rosalie was the only one left of the Cullen's that seemed to have any sense. _She_ understood how unnatural this 'friendship' between the pack and the vamps was, and she didn't like it any more than I did. Bella, though- freaky, vampire Bella- still wanted Jacob to be her best friend. And now, with our parents getting closer every day, she wanted to be _my _friend.

"Hi, Leah. Did you come to watch the game?" she asked now, trying to start up a conversation despite my dark, glowering scowl.

"I just came with my mom," I muttered, pushing past them towards the trees. The sooner I could shift to my wolf-form and take off running, the better. I heard a sigh from behind me but I didn't turn around.

"I don't know why you bother," Rosalie said to her as they headed up to the house, and Bella's reply was lost in the wind. Who cares why she bothered? Hadn't Bella gotten enough of everything she wanted in life? I wasn't about to be her next conquest.

Once I was deep enough into the woods that even a leech's sharp eyes couldn't see me, I hastily stripped down to my bare skin, my body already trembling to be released. The transformation was so quick now, so natural, that it barely took five seconds to complete. The trees blurred past me as I took off in a dead sprint, running along the now worn path around what had once been the perimeter.

The silence in my head was blissful. No doubt Seth or Jacob would shift at some point to call me back to the house, but for now I just enjoyed the wonderful feeling of being completely alone.

_"Running again, Leah?"_

The deep, unwanted voice shook me out of my self-imposed silence, and I groaned loudly in my mind.

_"Embry! What do you want?" _

He chuckled at my snarl, totally unfazed by my less than enthusiastic greeting.

_"Oh, come off it, Leah. I'm just heading to the Vamps'. Can I help it if you're phased at the same time as me?"_

_"No, but you can shut up and stay out of my head until you get there," _I snapped back, and he chuckled darkly again.

_"Yeah, 'cause that's even possible," _he snorted. _"At least if you're talking to me, I don't have to deal with all your angsty issues."_

Silent now, I seethed at him, and I could almost see the grin in his thoughts. He just loved that he'd pissed me off and shut me up. And I just hated that he and every other guy in the pack had the inside scoop on every private thought I had.

_"Why are __**you**__ heading to the Cullens?"_ I finally growled, unable to take his gloating any longer.

_"Big game on today. Quil's not watching it because Claire wanted to go to the beach, so I thought I'd head over here. Somebody's got to have it on,"_ he replied, but I caught the hidden thoughts behind his words. He was lonely. His two best friends had imprinted- on _kids_- and he felt as awkward as I did around any of Sam's pack now.

_"How come you're here?"_ he asked quickly, sensing I'd caught on to a little more than he'd wanted me to. He was at the perimeter now, running hard to catch up with me.

I snorted at the stupid question. _"Same reason as you. I've got no where else to be, either."_

That stung a little bit, I could feel him wince, and felt a tiny pang of guilt myself. I'd been trying so hard not to be such a harpy, but today seemed to be a bad day for me with that.

_"Slow up, will ya? You don't have to prove you're faster than me, you know," _he grumbled. That startled me enough that I cut my pace abruptly. Why did he care if I slowed down? Usually the pack couldn't wait to get away from me.

_"The leeches are back that way,"_ I reminded him, confusion tinting my thoughts. _"You'll miss the first pitch."_

_"Eh, so what? Nessie can always show me later," _he replied, catching up with me and giving an odd-looking shrug of his massive front shoulders. He caught the momentary twitch in my thoughts, and gave me a shrewd look as we ran side by side through the trees.

_"How come you never let Nessie touch you, Leah? It's not like she's contagious or something."_

I tried to play innocent. _"I don't have a problem with Nessie,"_ I insisted.

_"Cut it out, Leah. You can't exactly lie to me when we're both wolves, you know,"_ Embry growled, annoyance a thick undercurrent through his words. I'd forgotten how much he hated being lied to, in any form. Half-truths didn't cut it with him, either.

_"I __**don't**__ have a problem with her. Not really,"_ I clarified as he growled again. _"I mean, she's Jake's imprint, so I __**can't**__ have a problem with her. I just don't want to like her any more than I have to."_

_"So that means you can't touch her?" _

_"Well, yeah. It just seems like everyone who does falls totally in love with her. No thanks. I can tolerate her. Isn't that enough?"_

Embry considered this a second, and I watched the lightening fast flash of thoughts pass through his head. The speed that his brain worked at always impressed me. Finally, he did that odd shrugging thing again.

_"Yeah, I guess that's fair. But, you know, the Vamps aren't all bad once you get to know them,"_ he said.

I pulled a hideous grimace at him. _"Do __**not**__ start that. I get enough of that from Seth and Jake, and now my mom, too. I don't care how perfect they are. They're still bloodsuckers. They're still the reason I got turned into a freak."_

Embry frowned, and I couldn't keep up with the caliedescope of thoughts whirling around in his head. _"Seriously, do you hate being a wolf so badly, Leah?"_

Truthfully, I didn't, really. I loved the freedom of tearing through the trees at super-human speeds. I loved the raw power, the strength that stayed with me even in my human form. But there were a lot more things I hated even more.

_"Yeah, I do,"_ I answered, thinking loudly over those nagging background thoughts. _"I hate everyone being able to see into my head. I hate being the only girl- __**ever**__- to be a shifter. I hate being a freak."_

_"I don't think you're a freak," _Embry replied with a big, wolfy grin. If we'd been human, I would've smacked him upside the head. As it was, I took a mock-snap at his ankles.

_"That doesn't mean anything coming from a bigger freak than me," _I snorted, and he gave a wierd, barky laugh. I stuck my nose in the air and sped up again.

_"Aw, c'mon, Leah. Lighten up. At least things are better now being out of Sam's pack, right?"_ he said laughingly. For a moment, the hair on the back of my shoulders lifted straight up as a growling whine slipped past my lips. I hated, hated, _hated_ that he and Quil knew about how desperate I had been- still was- to get away from Sam. Embry backed off apologetically, and I felt another tiny pang of guilt. It wasn't his fault that he knew all about it. Stupid linked pack minds. My shoulders slumped as the hair smoothed back down.

_"Yeah, it's easier,"_ I admitted in defeat. _"At least we're not in each other's heads all the time anymore."_

_"You seem... better. Most of the time,"_ Embry thought tentatively.

_"I'm working on it,"_ I answered shortly, not needing to be reminded of what a bitch every member of both packs thought I was.

Embry winced. _"That's not what I meant. I'm just glad to see you a little... happier. That's all."_

Now I was just stunned, not to mention a little embarrassed. I wasn't expecting something like that from Embry. Seth, yeah. Jacob, maybe. But not him.

_"What the hell is this about, Embry?"_ I snapped, a lot sharper than I meant to be since I felt so awkward. It had been a long time since any guy had been nice to me at all.

Now it was his turn to shift uncomfortably. _"Nothing. I just think we- all the guys- we've been a little harsh to you. I mean, it can't be easy being the only girl in the pack. And the whole Sam thing- I can't imagine how bad that sucked, even after seeing it in your head. So, I guess I just feel a little bad about that. Okay?"_

I was so stunned that I stopped dead in my tracks. He skidded to a halt several feet away and wheeled around to face me with an uncertain, embarrassed look on his face. My thoughts whirled chaotically, and for once I really didn't care that he could see them. An _apology_? To me? It was vaguely pathetic that I felt like it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me.

_"Well... thanks, Embry,"_ I finally thought clearly to him. _"Really. But, you know it was kind of my fault for being such a pain in the butt all the time."_

_"Pain in the brain, you mean,"_ he snorted that weird barky laugh again, and I groaned at his lame joke.

_"You're gonna miss the whole game,"_ I reminded him, rolling my eyes.

_"You could come watch it too, you know," _he replied, a hopeful note coloring his thoughts. Being in my head like he was, he knew how much I used to love watching the games with my dad. I thought quickly about the house crammed full of stinking bloodsuckers and shook my head.

_"I don't think so. I'm kind of a damper on everyone's parade, if you know what I mean,"_ I finally answered slowly.

_"Aw, that's just 'cause you frown all the time. You used to be really pretty when you smiled."_

I snapped again at him, and he grinned and took off at full-speed toward the house. I plopped down on my haunches with a sigh, no energy for running anymore. _Used to be_. Ouch. That really stung, especially since I knew it was all too true.

_"I still think you're pretty."_

Embry's thought floated through my head, stunning me completely, before he phased and left me in complete silence.

An apology and a compliment all in one day? Fate must be taking a vacation! I could feel a small grin on my face as I got back to my feet and began loping slowly toward the house. Maybe watching a little bit of the game wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. It's a start

**It's a start...**

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**AN: **_I just wanted to say a quick note of thanks to everyone who took the time to read this story, and an especially big thank you to all who went the extra mile to review! It helps to inspire me, and I really appreciate that. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Oh- and obviously, I'm not Stephanie Meyer, or I'd be getting published and making some money. I'm just having some fun. On with the story!_

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_What in the seventh level of hell was I thinking?_

Oh, right. I'd been thinking watching some of the game with the bloodsuckers wouldn't be that bad. Boy, was I wrong. The house stunk, I stunk, and worst of all, my team was getting their booties creamed. At least I'd stalled outside until the game was almost over before I slid as unobtrusively as possible back into the house. I was fairly certain Charlie was oblivious to the fact that I'd rejoined the 'family party'. Actually, I was pretty sure he'd never realized I'd left in the first place.

Everyone else, well- that was a completely different matter. The first one to notice was Jasper, which wasn't really surprising given the waves of discomfort and uncertainty that I knew must have been pouring off of me. His sharp eyes had pinned me the moment I'd slid through the door. Besides Rosalie, Jasper was the vamp who liked me the least. I couldn't really blame him, considering the black pit of despair I wallowed in most of the time. From the quizzical look he gave me, today's feelings must've had a different flavor.

Edward was next, and I did my best to keep up the steady stream of 'Henry the Eighth" on repeat in my head. I did _not _need him knowing any more than he got from Jasper. As usual, he looked slightly annoyed at not being able to get information out of me as easily as he was used to. Or maybe he just really hated that song.

No one else even noticed me until I'd eased my way up to the TV and tentatively sat down on the arm of the couch next to Seth. He looked up at me with surprised elation, and I hastily shot him a burning glare of death. He caught the hint and shut his mouth, but he kept that goofy grin on his face as he turned his attention back to the game.

Bottom of the ninth, we were way behind, and the hitter up to bat struck out spectacularly. I snorted in disgust, and suddenly Emmett's eyes were trained on me, his usual taunting grin in place.

"You a Mariner fan?" he asked cheerfully, and I shrugged.

"Not sure I want to admit it right now," I muttered. He chuckled, and I was surprised at how nice it made me feel to make someone laugh, even just a little bit. For the past few years, mostly I'd just made people uncomfortable. The next hitter came up to bat, and Emmett leaned forward a bit, rubbing his hands together.

"Alright. This is it. He's gonna turn the game around," he informed the room at large. Once again I snorted.

"Not likely. He hasn't hit worth crap all season."

"Leah's right," Charlie chimed in. "This guy's been dead weight all year."

"Oh, not true," Emmett protested. "Besides, today's his game."

"Wanna bet?" I asked darkly as the hitter swung and missed the first pitch. Emmett just smirked at me and leaned back.

"Absolutely. Hey, Alice-" he began, and the black-haired pixie poked her head around the kitchen door.

"Nope, it's really not his game. Sorry, Emmett," she chirped, then disappeared again. Sure enough, there went strike three. Now it was my turn to smirk at the massive leech frowning heavily at the TV.

"Never doubt a Clearwater when it comes to baseball. Especially Leah," Charlie chuckled, reaching around Seth to nudge me on the arm. I wanted to sink right down into the couch cushions and disappear. It seemed like everyone in the room was staring at me, and I wanted nothing more than to bolt for the door. I wasn't a part of this family- not really! Just because I'd made some stupid comments about a stupid game didn't mean I wanted to have a big group hug or anything.

"Ness, why don't you go see if your grandma and Sue have any more snacks ready," Edward suddenly said, breaking the awkward moment. He patted Nessie's curls and let her down from his lap, nudging her towards the kitchen. Jacob rolled to his feet from where he'd been lounging on the floor, and I had to make a conscious effort not to roll my eyes at how he followed after her like a faithful puppy. Embry caught my eye as they passed him, mouthing the word "whipped" as he pointed at Jake's back. A tiny smirk lifted the corners of my mouth, and he grinned widely at me. I heard a light snicker coming from Edward's direction, and the smirk died on my lips.

_**I'm Henry the Eighth, I am, I am! Henry the Eighth I am- **__Don't know why he's laughing. He's more whipped than anybody, and he doesn't have the 'imprint' excuse- __**I got married to the widow next door. She's been married seven times before....**_

All traces of amusement left his face now as he shot me a dirty look. It felt like a tiny victory to me, and I kept singing as loudly as I could in my head while I got up and headed towards the kitchen. Being horribly off-key was just a tiny perk.

My mother looked up in surprise from the brownies she was cutting as I walked into the enormous kitchen. The laughable irony of it always got to me- a family of vamps with no need to eat owning all the latest gadgets and utensils known to man for food preparation. At least now, with the pack and Charlie over regularly, it was getting put to good use. The Food Network was now a familiar sight on the tiny flat screen on the counter, but I didn't have a clue whether it was helping the leeches learn how to cook or not. I'd never taken one bite of food from that kitchen.

Nessie was kneeling on a stool so she could lean her elbows on the counter to chatter away at my mom and Esme as they worked. The adoring smiles on both their faces made my mouth twist up into a tiny grimace. Okay, she was unbelievably cute, but that didn't change the fact that she was only supposed to be a few months old, just learning how to do things like sit up and drool. Didn't it freak anyone else out to see her looking like a eight year old?

"Leah!" My mom exclaimed when she noticed me. "I thought you went out..."

I shifted uncomfortably under Esme's tentatively friendly gaze and Nessie's bright smile. "Uh, I just wanted to see some of the game," I muttered, hunching down into my hoodie. I didn't want my mom to start getting her hopes up. This was just a one-time thing.

"Got anything to eat, Sue?" Charlie asked, ambling into the kitchen. Nessie bounced up to him, and he couldn't seem to resist picking her up, even though she was getting to be a bit too big for that. She planted a kiss on his cheek, and I swear his eyes just sparkled as he looked at her. My mom, smiling from ear to ear, handed him a plate she'd just loaded to overflowing with goodies.

"Are you hungry, Leah?" Esme asked me quietly, looking more warmly motherly than I could've imagined possible for a stone-cold, marble-skinned vamp. I swallowed hard. Next to me, Charlie's plate of food smelled unimaginably delicious, and my mouth began watering annoyingly. Embry wandered in and wasted no time in joining Jake at the counter, stuffing their huge mouths with food like they'd been starving for days. My stomach gave an involuntary growl that I knew Esme could hear, and I sighed. I'd already jumped in with both feet by coming back into the house at all. I may as well go to hell well-fed.

"Yeah, I guess," I mumbled in defeat, not looking her in the eye as she swiftly handed me a full plate, careful not to touch me, like she was afraid I'd change my mind if she got too close. I took a slow bite of a brownie and swallowed it quickly, not wanting to let the sweet chocolately goodness linger on my tongue. The silence felt awful to me- tense, astonished, and awkward, like every person in the house was focused on me. Which, being as everyone except Charlie and Sue could hear me no matter what they were doing, they probably were. I could just imagine their thoughts: _"What the hell's with Leah today?"_

"It's good. Thanks," I finally muttered reluctantly, keeping my eyes on my plate. The painfully uncomfortable atmosphere broke, and everyone seemed to breathe again. I focused on my food, suddenly ravenous, as Jake wandered over to stand next to me. I ignored him joking with Charlie and Nessie over my head, but Embry caught my eye and grinned. Scowling, I returned my attention to my food.

I didn't notice Nessie reaching across me to touch Jake's face as I shifted just a little bit. Her fingers brushed against my cheek, sudden, vivid images dancing across my mind, and I jerked back wildly. My plate shattered against the tiled floor, shards of stonewear mixing in with the remnants of my food. Nessie recoiled back into her grandfather's arms with wide, anxious eyes as I stared down into the mess at my feet.

The silence in the house was deafening. I was the only one who moved, my eyes darting wildly around the room as I panicked. Edward and Bella stood in the doorway, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper peering over their shoulders. Everyone was seemed frozen, staring at me. I couldn't even look at Jacob, terrified of his reaction.

"Leah, what was that all about?-" Charlie began in a bemused voice, unaware of just why I had reacted so violently to Nessie's touch. His words snapped me out of my panicked trance, and I did the only thing I could do.

I bolted.

I could hear the room springing to life behind me as I tore out of the house, heading blindly for the cover of the trees. I could hear Jake reassuring Nessie, and I could just imagine the anxious way she would have patted his face, replaying the scene questioningly to him. _Holy, freaking, bloody, crap!!! _What had I just done?? What was I thinking, hanging out with the bloodsuckers like that?

I was into the dense foliage now, my body trembling so violently that everything was a dark blur. I only managed to get my hoodie half-way off before I exploded uncontrollably into my wolf-form, shredding my poor clothes to unrecognizable bits.

My claws dug unmercifully into the soft earth as I sprinted away, moving faster than I'd ever thought possible as I tried to outrun my own panic.

Halfway to the border between Cullen territory and La Push, the panic caught up with me and brought me stumbling to my knees.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god. What did I do? Jake's gonna kick me out, he's gonna send me back to La Push. He'll never let me near Nessie again. He's gonna make me go back to Sam's pack. What the hell did I do? Oh god, oh god, oh god..._

Too crazed to move, I lay there frozen, my terrified thoughts running on repeat in my head. I was so lost that I didn't even notice when Jacob phased, looking for me.

_"Leah, what the hell-" _his commanding voice boomed in my head suddenly, and I completely freaked out.

_"Jake! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Look, I'll stay away from her, okay? I won't come anywhere near the Cullens, any of them, ever again. Just please, please, please, don't kick me out! Don't send me back to Sam's pack. Look, I'll be the lowest of the low in your pack. I won't even talk to any of you guys if you don't want me to. I'll never phase when you are. Just __**please**__ don't kick me out," _I begged shamelessly, shocking even myself. I knew Jake had been expecting anger, probably super-defensive bitchiness. Not crazed, pathetic sniveling. He had no idea how desperately I needed to stay away from Sam.

_"Leah, shut up," _he cut into my rant, the awkwardness pouring off of his thoughts heavy enough to taste. _"I'm not gonna kick you out."_

My relief was so strong I could have sobbed. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, but Jake managed to pick the important bits out.

_"The Cullen's aren't mad. Esme's just worried about you. That's why I'm out here. Edward and Jasper said you were really upset," _Once again, the awkwardness poured off of him. _"Look, I'm sorry about that. Nessie is, too. She didn't mean to touch you."_

In his head, I could see flashes of the aftermath I left behind when I'd bolted: Edward explaining in a quiet, low voice to Nessie how much I disliked being touched by them, Esme murmuring about someone going to find me with a sad, concerned look on her face, Mom and Seth trying to come up with some excuse for Charlie's sake, Embry staring after me. It felt really weird to see all that.

_"Sorry. Really," _I said again, but I knew he could hear the memory of Seth's voice in my head, whining at me: _"Aw, Leah, you ruin everything!"_

_"It's not a big deal. Really. You should just come back to the house. Nessie wants to apologize," _he finally said after several long minutes. I snorted, a pathetic attempt at a laugh. Nessie wanted to apologize to me? What for? She just accidentally brushed my skin. I'm the one who totally freaked out.

"_No, thanks. I think I've had enough fun for one day. Besides, I, uh, would kinda have to stay a wolf, anyway."_

I could sense the heavy sigh he blew out of his mouth, even though we were miles apart. _"Fine, suit yourself. I'm going back. Want me to tell your mom you're heading back to La Push?"_

_"Yeah, thanks. And Jake," _I hesitated, trying to force the thought out. _"Tell Nessie I'm sorry, okay?"_

_"Sure, sure," _came his easy reply, and then I was alone in my head again. Or so I thought.

_"Hey, Leah, that was some kind of freak out," _Embry laughed. If I'd been human at the moment, I would've turned absolutely scarlet with mortification. How much had he heard?

Well, that hardly mattered, since he'd just seen it all in my head before I could stop myself from thinking about it. Stupid, crappy, annoying mind connection!

_"You didn't seriously think Jake was gonna kick you out over that, did you?" _he asked, cutting into my self-directed rant.

_"Shut __**up**__, Embry!" _I snarled, utterly embarrassed by his thoughts. It was all too apparent how ridiculous he thought I was being.

_"Oh, c'mon, Leah. Jake would never do something that stupid. He's not gonna just drop his Beta for no real reason."_

I snorted. _"I'm only his Beta 'cause there was no one but me and Seth to choose from."_

_"He could've chose Seth," _Embry reminded me. _"You're the Beta, Leah. That's not changing, so deal with it."_

Okay, now today was just getting too weird for me. I was on my feet once more, heading as fast as possible toward La Push, anxious to be human again so I could sort through my chaotic thoughts in private.

_"Running again, Leah?"_ Embry said sardonically, and I growled out loud, even though he was much to far away to hear me.

_"Oh, shut up and go play with the bloodsuckers!" _I snarled. I heard his snorting chuckle for a brief moment before he disappeared.

I snuck carefully through La Push to my house, creeping into the garage quietly before shifting. The leeches' stink clung to my skin and hair, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. First thing on my to-do list was a long shower.

My mind whirled as I stepped under the steaming water. _Used to be pretty, easier away from Sam_, _you seem... better..._ It was so weird how Embry's words kept running around like a skip in a CD in my head. The surprised looks on everyone's face when I came in to watch the game, the astonishment when I ate some of Esme's food- had I really let myself become so angry and antisocial? When did I become this horrible, dead person?

Tears streamed down my face, mingling in with the tepid water running over my skin. I didn't even really know what I was crying about. Maybe I was mourning for myself, the lost bits of me that I'd let die over the past few years. Maybe I was crying for the future I hadn't even known I wanted that would never be possible now. It really didn't matter, anyway. It felt good. Cathartic.

Finally, I wiped away the last of the tears and stepped out of the shower with a deep, shuddering breath. Using the edge of my towel, I cleaned the fog off of the mirror and stared hard at my gaunt face.

"That's enough, Leah Clearwater. It's time to get over it."

My voice was surprisingly firm, and my eyes held a dark determination. So Fate had thrown me down the crapper and poured manure on me. I could handle it. I was stronger than anything Fate could toss at me.

It was time to bring Leah Clearwater back to life.


	3. Baby Steps

**Baby Steps**

**AN: **_Yay! Chapter three! This one's dedicated to everyone who reviewed last chapter, because you guys are the reason I'm still working on this one. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again! I really appreciate any comments or critiques, so I hope you'll keep helping me out with that. Thanks again!_

_Twilight and etc. belongs to S. Meyer. Okay- chapter three.... GO!_

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Reclaiming my life was a little more confusing than I'd originally thought. For one thing, I really had no clue where to even start. I wasn't in school, there was no reason for me to be running patrols anymore, and I didn't really have any friends. In short, I didn't know what to do with myself. I never thought I'd say it, but I had way too much free time on my hands.

My solution? Find a job. The only issue with that was that it was probably easier said than done. There weren't a whole lot of options in La Push, and without transportation, I couldn't go much farther than Forks. On top of that, I didn't have any experience in anything except babysitting. With my attitude for the last few years, I highly doubted anyone would want me around their kids.

As soon as I woke up the morning after my 'get over it Leah Clearwater' declaration, I headed over to the one and only store in La Push to grab the local papers. Henry, the old man who'd run the place for my entire life, gave me an odd look when I payed for them. I ignored him, and thankfully he didn't ask any questions.

Another thing I'd vowed to do was to try to eat more. The fact that I could easily count each and every one of my ribs had startled me last night when I'd taken a critical inventory of myself. So, this morning, I scrambled up six eggs and made a whole plateful of buttered toast for myself before I plopped down to peruse my papers.

Just as I'd suspected, there were no advertisements for any jobs in La Push. I shoveled my eggs down as I frowned heavily, tossing the first paper aside. At least the eating part of my 'recovery' was going well this morning. Morosly, I paged through the Forks local paper, not expecting much.

Suddenly, I was sitting bolt upright in my chair, a half-eaten piece of toast falling unnoticed from my fingers. No _way_! The Newton's store in Forks was hiring part-time! It was like a mini-miracle had just occurred in my very own kitchen! Hastily, I reminded myself that it was more than likely already filled, being as it was one of the only places in Forks for someone to work, but it was still worth a try.

My phone was in my hand, the number dialed, before I had a chance to talk myself out of it. Two rings, three rings....

"_C'mon. Please, please, please. Cut me a break, just this once_," I pleaded silently to Fate as I listened to each and every ring with a furiously beating heart.

"Newton's Outdoor Gear, how may I help you?" a woman's voice rang in my ear, and I recognized Mrs. Newton's voice from the times I'd been in the store with my dad buying fishing gear.

"Hello, I'm calling about the ad you placed in the paper about a part-time worker," I answered her in the calmest voice I could muster. "Have you filled it yet, or are you still looking for someone?"

"Actually, you're the first person to call about it. I just placed it yesterday. Are you interested?" she replied cheerfully.

"Absolutely. I'm Leah Clearwater. Would you like me to get you a resume, or..."

"Leah Clearwater? I'm not sure I've met you-" she began uncertainly, and I quickly cut in.

"Oh, I'm from La Push," I reasured her. In a small town like Forks, everybody knew everybody, and I could understand her hesitation when she didn't recognize my name.

"La Push. Well, that explains it, then," she laughed. "Well, how soon could you come in for an interview?"

"How soon do you want me to?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound to desperate.

"Could you come at one o'clock today?" she replied, sounding hopeful. "I'll understand if that's too short of notice, but I really do need to fill this position as quickly a possible."

"One o'clock will be perfect," I reassured her, silently ecstatic. It was all too unbelievably good to be true! As soon as I'd hung up, I jumped up and did a crazy, wild dance around the table. Yes, yes, _yes_!

And then I glanced at the clock and had a complete panic attack. I'd wasted so much time buying the papers and making my breakfast this morning that it was already nearly noon! Frantic, I tore upstairs and scrubbed off quickly in the shower, rushing back to my room with a towel wrapped around my dripping wet self.

What was I going to wear? It had been so long since I'd cared at all about clothes or how I looked that I couldn't even remember what I had in my closet. Everything was sure to be hopelessly outdated or totally ratty, and I supposed it wouldn't help my chances to show up in an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt. If ever I wished for help from the black-haired, fashion freak of a leech, now was it, even though I'd never say it out loud.

In the back of my closet, I managed to find a decent pair of black pants, not too dressy or out of style. They'd have to do. I started to pull on a nice tank top before I remembered that it was only early March, and most people in Forks were still wearing sweaters and winter coats. Sighing, I dug through my drawers again and found a long sleeved red shirt that was really the only weather-appropriate top that would work.

But... this had always been Sam's favorite shirt.

The red fabric felt like it was burning my hands as I clutched it tightly and sat down heavily on my bed. My breaths came in deep, heaving, shuddering gasps, but I didn't cry. I wouldn't let myself.

_"Get over it, Leah. It's just a shirt. It's the only thing you have to wear, and you've __**got**__ to get this job. C'mon, just put it on..."_

Slowly, closing my eyes, I pulled the shirt on and smoothed it in to place. Barely breathing, I stood up and faced my mirror, forcing myself to open my eyes and look. For a moment, just the sight of me wearing that shirt, one I hadn't touched since everything fell apart, was almost enough to break me. But then I saw how different it looked now, hanging off of my gaunt frame, and I was suddenly more determined than ever to fix myself.

There wasn't much time left, but I had to do something about my short, ragged hair and my haggard face. My makeup was by now so old it was useless, so I dug through my mom's for some eyeshadow and lipstick. Mercifully, the thick, curling, black lashes around my eyes let me skip the tedious eyeliner and mascara part. I stole a little bit of Seth's hair gel to make my hair look artfully messy and spiky. Honestly, I didn't know why he even owned the stuff, since he never bothered to do anything but rub a towel over his wet head once or twice after he showered.

I grimaced at myself in the mirror when my impromptu makeover was done. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it was a start. If I got this job, I'd have to spend some money on a decent haircut and a new supply of makeup. Not to mention some new clothes.

I yanked on my black boots as I hopped down the stairs, nearly out of time. I still had to call my mom at work and beg her to bring the car back for me to borrow for an hour or so. Thank God her job at the Elder's Office was so flexible she was allowed to come and go as needed, especially after Dad died.

Stumbling into the kitchen, I stopped dead at the sight of Seth and Embry peering into our fridge with ravenous expressions. They both looked up, the surprise on their faces as they stared at me almost comical.

Embry gave a tiny whistle. "Whoa, Leah. If I'd known you dress up at home like that, I'd be over more often."

I turned bright red and scowled at him, embarrassed and angry that now he and Seth were going to know about my little interview at the Newton's store. Hastily, I grabbed the phone to call Mom.

"Are you going somewhere?" Seth asked, dumbfounded confusion in his voice. I screwed up the number and sighed in frustration, not bothering to look back up at them.

"Yes, okay? Is that so strange? I've got an interview at the Newton's store in Forks at one. So just shut up and let me call Mom for the car," I mumbled, punching in the wrong numbers again, my fingers clumsy from embarrassment.

"An interview? As in, for a _job_ interview?" Seth demanded incredulously, and I could've hurled the phone at him.

"_Yes_. But at this rate, I'm not going to make it on time anyway, so I'm never going to get hired," I hissed, glancing anxiously at the clock. Unless Mom jumped into the car and sped home right now, I was really going to be cutting it close.

"Hey, it's no problem, Leah. I'll take you," Embry suddenly said with an easy smile. He must've seen the speechless surprise on my face, because he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Look, my car's parked in the driveway. You can either ride with me or take your chances getting there on time yourself."

I stared at him, not sure if I'd heard him correctly. The phone dangled from my hand, my mom's number only half-dialed. Talking to me- no, apologizing to me yesterday was one thing, but offering me a ride? I didn't know what to make of it. He gave a pointed glance at the clock before looking back at me with raised eyebrows.

"You're sure? I mean.. you don't mind?" I stuttered finally, and he rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't have offered if I did, idiot."

Alright. Now _that_ was more normal. I tossed the phone on the counter and grabbed my rarely worn black leather jacket out of the closet.

"Thanks, Embry. Seriously, I'm really going to owe you for this one," I said fervently as the two of us ran out to his car.

"If you actually get this job, I'll make sure you pay me back somehow," he laughed as he helped me clear off the passenger seat. I glanced into the back of the car in amused disgust at the piles of old pop bottles and food wrappers littered over the seats and floor as he backed out of our driveway and sped toward Forks.

"Maybe I should clean your car out for you," I suggested with a smirk.

"Hey, no complaining about your free transport," Embry warned with a grin. He glanced sideways at me, his dark eyes thoughtful. "So, uh, what's with the sudden interest in getting a job?"

I squirmed a little in my seat, totally unwilling to divulge the details of my self-revitalization project. "Oh, well, you know... Just something to do. Change of pace and all that," I muttered. The sharp look he gave me let me know just how much he wasn't fooled by that, but for once he let it slide. We rode in silence for a few minutes, the road flashing quickly by underneath us.

"This isn't messing up your plans for the day or anything, is it?" I asked tentatively, glancing surreptitiously at his dark profile.

"Naw. Didn't really have any plans for today," he shrugged, flashing his wide grin at me. "Anyway, this beats going over to the Vamps' place again. Or babysitting Claire with Quil."

"What? You're not interested in playing Barbie dolls again? Jake looked like he was having fun with his," I asked with mock surprise.

"You know, if you'd told me a year ago that Jake and Quil would be spending all their time doting on a pair of kids, I would've laughed in your face. I mean, we used to hang out all the time doing _interesting _stuff. Fixing up the bikes, cliff diving, whatever. Now they're too busy playing _dolls_," he snorted. I could tell he was trying to keep his tone light and joking, but he couldn't quite manage to hide the bitterness behind his words. Startled, I realized I actually felt a little stab of pity for him running through me. It seemed like it had been years since I really felt anything for anyone but myself, and that sickened me.

"Yeah, they kinda turned into some real pansies, huh?" I said jokingly, doing my best to keep my voice casual.

"No kidding," he muttered. "This whole imprinting thing really sucks."

Now I felt another stab, much more painful than the last, rocketing through my chest. It was so strong, I couldn't stop my sharp intake of breath or the tears pricking at my eyelids. Yeah, imprinting sucked when it wasn't you. _That_ part I knew all too well.

Embry shot a quick glance at me, his sharp eyes taking in my balled fists and suddenly rigid posture. His face twisted into an apologetic grimace and he lifted a hand off the steering wheel for a moment, like he wanted to reach over and comfort me, before he let it fall back down.

"Oh, crap. Leah, I'm sorry. That was a really dumb thing to say," he mumbled uncomfortably, sincerely apologetic. I shrugged, forcing myself to relax.

"S'okay. No big deal," I told him loudly, not sure if I was trying to convince him or myself more. "Let's just forget it. Can we get some tunes or something?"

"Sorry. Radio busted last week," he apologized, jumping at the change of conversation.

"And you haven't fixed it yet? You, Mr. Mechanic?" I asked incredulously. He just shrugged noncommittaly as he pulled into the Newton's parking lot.

"See? Told you I'd get you here on time," he said cheerfully. Sure enough, I had a little over five minutes to spare.

"I never doubted you," I told him as I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed open my door. "Seriously, thanks for doing this, Embry. I would've just run here, but, well... I wasn't too sure how the whole make-up thing would take the shifting."

Embry stared at me for a minute before his eyes widened and his face split into a huge grin. I frowned at him as his enormous shoulders heaved with laughter, totally not getting what was so incredibly funny.

"Oh, _man_. A giant wolf wearing eye shadow!" he crooned, shaking his head and wiping away tears. "Now that's some kind of mental image! Too bad you aren't gonna be shifting!"

I blinked at him in surprise, totally not expecting him to stick around Forks waiting for me. "I'll just run home after I'm done here. The make-up thing won't matter then, so you really don't have to wait for me."

"Don't be stupid, Leah," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Look, I'll just go to the diner and get something to eat. You can meet me there when you're done."

It seemed pretty stupid of me to argue, since I really wasn't looking forward to carrying my clothes and boots in my mouth all the way home. I nodded, silently agreeing to his plan, before slipping out of my open car door. Nervously, I straightened my jacket and smoothed out my pants with slightly damp palms. Embry put the car in reverse and turned it around before poking his head out of the window to grin at me.

"You're gonna do great," he reassured me. "Nobody in their right mind would turn you down."

I could think of a few people who had, but I just returned his grin weakly. "Thanks, Embry," I muttered, taking a deep breath.

"If you get the job, you're paying for my lunch," he laughed before speeding off towards the one and only diner in Forks.

Squaring my shoulders, I marched resolutely through the front doors before I could get any more nervous. The place smelled like I remembered it; a mixture of new rubber, pine, and musty carpet. Although, I supposed, only someone like me with a heightened sense of smell really noticed the musty carpet.

The store was relatively empty, and Mrs. Newton came towards me immediately with a wide grin.

"You must be Leah Clearwater. You know, right after I got off of the phone with you, I remembered who you were. Your father used to get his fishing gear here, right?" she asked me cheerfully.

"Yeah. He always said you had the best lures," I told her nodding. A little flattery couldn't hurt, right?

"He was a really good man. We all miss him," Mrs. Newton said quietly, and for a moment, we both looked silently at the floor.

"Well," she suddenly said brightly, breaking the solemn silence. "Why don't we head into the office and get started?"

She led the way into a dark, wood-paneled little room behind the cash register, closing the door firmly behind us. I don't think I'd ever prayed so hard in all my life as I was praying then.

Twenty minutes later, I walked out of the store with a new job, a schedule in my hands, and brand-spanking-new lease on life. Or at least it felt that way to me. I was starting to hope Fate had gotten bored with messing with my life, meaning things might actually start to look up for me.

I'm not sure my feet even touched the pavement as I floated down the street to the diner. Embry sat alone at a table, an enormous amount of food in front of him. The fact that I was footing the bill didn't even dent my euphoria. He stopped cramming food in his mouth long enough to look up at me when I reached his table.

"You got it?" he questioned through a full mouth, lifting his eyebrows halfway up his forehead hopefully.

"I got it!" I squealed, and the giddy happiness radiating from my voice surprised us both. I thought my face might split in half from the unfamiliar grin stretching my cheeks from ear to ear as I plopped down breathlessly in the seat across from him.

"Told you so," he replied, the huge grin on his face matching mine. How he managed to smile that big with that much food in his mouth, I would never know. He swallowed, drained half his glass in one swig, and pulled another plate toward himself.

"You ordered all of this just for you?" I asked incredulously, staring at the massive amount of greasy food piled on the table. "Are you sure you shouldn't be shifting into a giant pig instead of a wolf?"

"Har har. I got some for you, too," he returned, pushing the smallest basket of fries and a hamburger at me. Gratefully, I munched on a fry while he demolished a burger in- literally- two bites.

"Like I said, _giant pig_. Why do you even bother chewing?" I demanded, but the grin on my face took all the edge off of my words. He just shrugged and concentrated on shoveling it in while I finished off my basket, surprisingly hungry for just having eaten breakfast three hours earlier.

Once my basket was empty, I eyed the pies on display hungerly. A little celebratory dessert sounded really good.

"Hey, you still got room for pie, Mr. Human Garbage Disposal?" I asked suddenly, mentally trying to decide between caramel apple or french silk.

"Honey, there's always room in this tank," Embry replied, leaning back and patting his flat, toned stomach appreciatively. I stared at him, one eyebrow raised mockingly.

"_Tank?_ Dude, you've been spending way too much time with Emmett Cullen."

He just leaned back farther and grinned lazily at me. "Hey, that guy's got style."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at him before flagging the waitress over to our table. The astonished look on her face when she saw all the empty plates and baskets almost made me laugh.

"I'd like a piece of caramel apple pie with ice cream, please," I told her. "Oh, and extra whipped cream on top, too."

"Same for me," Embry agreed quickly, and the shocked woman could hardly do more than nod before walking away to place our order.

"Maybe you should tone down the heavy eating in public or you'll give away our secret, _Tank_," I smirked.

"Hm, I could get used to that nickname," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Tank. Yeah, that totally fits me."

"That's it. I am cutting you off. No more Emmett for you."

"Ha. There's no stopping the Tank."

I buried my face in my hands despairingly. "Dear God. What have I done?"

Our pies arrived, and I dug in greedily, hoping "The Tank" would be distracted by his pie and forget about his stupid new nickname.

"So, Leah, what's up with you, really?" Embry suddenly asked after his first few bites. I could only stare at him, a forkful of whip-creamy deliciousness poised halfway to my mouth. He frowned and poked uncomfortably at his desert.

"I mean, suddenly wanting to get a job, eating, getting dolled up... not that I'm complaining," he hastily added, flashing a grin at my dumbfounded face. "But, you know... it's not like you. So, I'm just wondering why the sudden change."

Silently, I poked my fork into my melting ice cream, stirring it thoughtfully. Embry was the nicest person I'd known in a long time, or at least, he was the nicest person in my life at the moment. He was funny, and easy to talk to, and most importantly, he was honest. If I told him about my self-revitalization plan, I knew he wouldn't laugh at me. But could I tempt Fate that much by telling someone else?

Ah, hell. What did it matter? It probably wasn't going to work anyway. I was too far ruined to really come back from the dead. Might as well be honest about it.

"Okay, this is going to sound really stupid. Don't ever repeat this to anyone, got it? Especially not to any of Sa- the other pack," I muttered, smashing my pie to bits with my fork.

"Cross my heart," Embry said sardonically, mockingly making an X over his chest with his finger. I scowled at him, but deep down I knew I could trust him.

"So, last night I was thinking that I let myself turn into a real mess. I mean, I've been blaming the whole wolf-thing and... and _Sam_ for ruining my life, but really, it's my fault for letting it get ruined in the first place. So... I guess I'm just trying to figure out a way to fix things. For myself. So I won't be "Leah the Bitch-Wolf" anymore. I want to be normal again. Well, as normal as I can be, anyway," I trailed off uncomfortably, flicking a hesitant glance up at Embry's face to gauge his reaction. He wouldn't laugh at me, right? Right?

He was leaning forward on the table, his dark eyes scrutinizing me intently, but he definitely wasn't laughing. I squirmed a little under the intenseness of his gaze before he finally nodded and leaned back into his seat.

"Well, it's about damn time," he declared positively. I scowled heavily at him, but he just smiled and gestured to the ice cream soup that once was my pie. "You gonna finish that?"

Sighing, I pushed the mess over to him and went to go pay the bill. Honestly, I was glad that he hadn't said anything more than that. The last thing I really wanted to do was go into the nitty-gritty details of my decision.

Embry didn't bring it up again during the short drive back to La Push, and neither did I. We joked around about nothing and everything, and I realized that I hadn't felt that comfortable around anyone in a long time. It was so easy to just be myself around Embry, because he wasn't expecting anything from me. I could've hugged him until he turned blue.

Seth bounded out of the house eagerly the minute we pulled into the driveway, like he'd been watching out of the window for us like a little kid.

"So? How'd it go? Did you get the job?" he demanded as soon as I opened my door.

"Geez, Seth. Weren't you going to the Cullen's?" I asked, a trickle of annoyance in my voice. He acted so much like an overgrown puppy sometimes.

"Well, yeah," he admitted sheepishly. "But I waited around to find out what happened."

For a moment, my anger flared up wildly. Why did he want to know? So he could run off to the vamps and have a good laugh over pathetic, little me? My hands balled up into fists, and I had the sudden, violent urge to break his nose.

But then I looked at him, really looked at him, and all my anger evaporated. This was _Seth_, my sweet, loving, baby brother. His face was all honest eagerness and hope _for me_, because he really cared whether or not I got the job. And the only reason he cared was because _I _did. I was so used to assuming the worst, thinking everyone hated me, that nobody cared if I was hurting or not, that I'd immediately twisted his sweet gesture into something horrible.

I was the worst person in the history of the world.

"I got the job. Thanks, Seth," I managed to get out hoarsely, hoping he and Embry wouldn't notice the thin mist of tears in my eyes.

"Yes! Alright, Leah!" he shouted, pumping his fist in the air. He noticed my pathetic lack of reaction, and stared curiously at me. "It is a good thing, right? I mean, that's what you wanted, isn't it?"

I gave myself a hard mental shake to stop my self-loathing thoughts and forced a smile. "Absolutely. I'm still in shock, that's all."

"Sure," he said, giving me a confused look. "Well, I'm heading to the Cullen's, then. You guys coming?"

"I'm in," Embry agreed with a casual shrug of his shoulders, but I shook my head. The memories of my last disasterous visit were still too fresh in my mind.

"Count me out. I've got better things to do," I stated firmly, and Seth merely shrugged and headed for the trees to shift. Embry gave me a grin and a mocking salute.

"See you around, B-Wolf."

"B-Wolf?" I asked, not sure I really wanted to know.

"Yep. Beta-Wolf. Or Bitch-Wolf, whatever you want," he told me, laughing at my torn expression. I didn't know whether to laugh with him or throw something at his head.

"Har har _har_," I snorted. "Don't try your humor on the leeches or they might eat you, Tank."

"Nobody eats the Tank," he informed me seriously before winking broadly and disappearing into the trees. Rubbing my temples, I went inside and slammed the door behind me. B-Wolf? Ugh. Guys could be so dumb.

But funny. Funny and nice, like Embry. Maybe, if my luck held, he wouldn't get sick of me and I could spend some more time with him. Yeah, that would be good. I hadn't had any sort of a friend in a long, long time. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to just joke around with somebody.

A new job and maybe, _maybe_ someone I could call a friend instead of just a packmate. The first day of my new life couldn't get any better! Okay, so there was that nasty little slip-up about getting angry with Seth for no reason, but I could work on that. Baby steps, right?

_Leah Clearwater, you are on your way!_

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_**AN: **_Just wanted to quickly say that there will be a lot more of the Cullen's in the next few chapters. Can't have a Twilight fic without them, right? So... what's in store for Leah's recovery? An Alice Cullen make over? A new car? Any suggestions or ideas would be very happily accepted!! Thanks!_


	4. Stumbling

**Stumbling**

**AN: **_Just a quick thank you to everyone who read/favorited/story alert'd last chapter. I really appreciate it! Also, an enormously huge __**THANK YOU**__ to everyone who went the extra mile to leave a review. Thanks for helping me out and keeping me motivated!  
Moving on... yet again, I don't own anything Twilightish, or the last two books would've been very, very different._

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Unbelievably, my good luck held for the next uneventful month. I slid effortlessly into my job at the Newton's store, I was starting to look a little less like the poster girl for starvation, and I'd been busy enough to have an excuse not to go back to the Cullen's since that last disasterous visit. The worst issue, besides my still messed-up heart, was my transportation, or lack thereof. Mom and I had been looking for a cheap car for me -and Seth, since he was old enough now to drive, even though he said he preferred running-, but so far nothing decent had turned up. At first, I figured I'd have to get used to running one way or the other dragging my shoes around my neck and my clothes tied to my leg.

But then, after the first week of trying to work out my schedule with Mom and having ro run to Forks for more than half of my shifts, Embry unexpectedly stepped in. I nearly fell over dead from shock when he'd offered me a ride again, but he seemed so genuine about it that I agreed. And then he offered me another one, and then another. Sometimes he showed up at the end of my shift, just lounging against his rusty, beat-up Ford in the parking lot like he had nothing better to do than wait for me. He _claimed_ it was just because it was a good excuse for him to bring his car to the Cullen's instead of running so he could work on it there. It seemed like he and Rosalie had struck up an uneasy truce over their mutual love of mechanics, and at least he had something better to do than play Barbies with Jake and Nessie.

I didn't care what his reasons were. I just liked him showing up with that nonchalant grin of his, calling me B-Wolf and acting like he actually enjoyed my company. That was something I just couldn't fathom, but I kept my mouth shut about it and went with the flow.

Yep, things were looking up. I tugged on my boots, pulled on the orange blazer I needed to wear for work, and went outside to wait for Embry in the semi-sunny April morning.

I took a deep breath of the fresh, spring air and froze painfully on my front step at the scent that wafted to me in the breeze. Every instinct I had told me to bolt, but the door had already swung shut and locked behind me.

Sam stood in the middle of my front walk, looking like I'd just caught him in the act of deciding whether or not he should go up and knock on the door. My breath hitched in my throat painfully as my heart thudded, skidded to a halt, and lurched back into an uneasy rhythm. Could he hear that? Could he see the panic in my eyes? I couldn't hear anything but the buzzing in my ears as we stared at each other for a long, uncomfortable moment. The last time we'd seen each other in human form was the day Jacob broke off from the pack- the day before I'd turned traitor on him, at least in his eyes.

"Hi, Leah," he finally said, and the sound of his deep, gravelly voice nearly tore my fragile hold on my new life apart.

"What do you want?" I forced out as roughly as I could, working to paste an angry scowl on my face. It was hard not to crumble right there. It had been so long since I'd last seen his face or heard his voice, and I loathed myself for how much I'd missed him.

"You look... good," he said lamely, shifting from foot to foot, not quite meeting my burning gaze.

Good? Compared to what? The train-wreck I was the last time he saw me? Did he come here just to assuage his own guilt? _Good_- ha! I could've cried for his stupid white lie. I looked nowhere near the Leah that he had once professed to love.

"What do you _want_?" I demanded again, desperation adding the unfriendly sharpness I needed to my voice.

"Relax, Leah. I just need to talk to you," he answered, a bit of sharpness in his own voice. I winced a tiny bit, hating myself for visibly recoiling under his harsh tone, hating myself even more because I knew he saw it.

"Please. It's really important. Can we just go inside and sit down?" he asked gently, his voice soft again.

"No!" I snapped, my exclamation as hard as a slap in the face. "Whatever you've got to say, you can say it out here."

Like hell I was going to invite him in to sit around the kitchen table like old friends. There were some things I would never be able to handle.

"Alright, if that's what you want," Sam agreed easily, shrugging indifferently. I glanced at my watch impatiently, wishing fervently that Embry would come speeding up in his old junker and save me before I completely fell apart. In front of me, Sam squared his shoulders, suddenly all business.

"Leah, I came to talk to you about the Pack," he said heavily, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Pack-_s_. As in plural. There are two, remember? Your pack and Jacob-the-true-Alpha's pack."

I could tell that little dig about Alphas bothered him by the slight tightening of his lips, and I felt a tiny, vindictive sting of pleasure in the knowledge. He drew himself up to his full height, trying to use the authority in his eyes to cow me, but his Alpha claim no longer had any sway over me.

"That's what I need to talk to you about. We both know this isn't the way things are supposed to be. Jacob Black tore our family apart, and for what? To protect the very things that we're designed to destroy! It's unnatural. The way he spends every day with them, dragging the rest of you into danger, into the hands of those filthy bloodsuckers-"

"The Cullen's are good people," I interrupted, the acid in my voice surprising even me. God knows I was the first person to call them leeches or worse, and here I was jumping to their defense. But Sam's attitude, the way he practically spit the word 'bloodsuckers' out like it was disgusting garbage, rankled me more than I wanted to admit.

Sam stared at me a moment, like he was seeing me for the first time. I folded my arms tightly across my chest so he couldn't see my trembling.

"Leah, _they're still vampires_. I know you hate them just as much as I do," he continued in a softer voice, all friendliness now. I steeled myself against his words, his voice, as much as I could. Yes, they were vampires, and I... and I....

Suddenly, I had a stunning epiphany. I _didn't _hate the vampires. At least, I didn't hate the Cullen vampires. There really had never been anything to hate. It wasn't their fault the La Push wolves shifted. If anything, it was _our_ ancestors' fault for forcing the treaty in the first place. No treaty, no wolves.

But Sam was still talking, and his gravely, deep voice drew me in unmercifully.

"It's not safe for any of you to spend time with them. We're natural enemies, us and the vamps. I'm just worried about your safety, Leah. Yours and Seth's, and Quil and Embry's, too."

"The Cullen's won't hurt any of us," I whispered hoarsely, grabbing fistfuls of my shirt underneath my armpits. I couldn't listen to his words, I _wouldn't_. It was horribly difficult to breath now; the short, ragged gasps I managed burning my throat like fire. "_I'm just worried about your safety, Leah."_ Oh, god, keep me strong!

"They haven't, not yet. But that doesn't mean they won't. Leah, it's been months since the Volturi confrontation. You need to come home now. You need to come back to your real Pack," Sam insisted, the pleading in his voice and on his face doing a fairly good job of hiding the commanding undertone of his words. I shivered violently from head to toe, pain and anger rocketing through my body so hard it was difficult to keep standing.

Why, _why_ was he doing this? I'd been in his head, for _months_. I knew how badly he'd wanted me to disappear. I knew how embarrassed I made him, knew how much he pitied me under his impenetrable armor of imprinted love. I would never, _never_ go back to that, never be under his command and in his head again.

"Please, Lee-Lee. I want you to come back."

Now the world was spinning, and everything was falling apart. How could he say that to me? _How could he be so cruel?_ An enormous stream of profanities streamed through my mind, and in that moment, I wished we were still linked, because I couldn't work them past my quivering lips. I could've _killed_ him in that moment. And yet, part of me wanted to crumple into a heap, sobbing, because I'd dreamt of him saying that for so very, very long. But I couldn't let that part of me have the upper hand.

"You- how _dare_ you say that to me? You- you- _bastard_, " I finally snarled out, wishing I had the strength to cross the short distance between us and pummel him into the ground. The sharp pains tearing through me left me frighteningly weak, unable to do more than glare at him and shiver violently.

"Leah-" Sam began, but I cut him off ruthlessly.

"Just leave me alone. I never want to see your face again," -a colossal lie I knew he could see right through- "Go back to Emily and leave me in peace!"

The loud roar of an engine pulling into the driveway distracted us both, and a familiar, rusty junker screeched to a halt. I nearly cried in relief as Embry unfolded his massive bulk from the front seat, taking in the scene with sharp, swift eyes.

"Hey, B. Ready to go?" he asked nonchalantly, but he eyed Sam with narrowed, unfriendly eyes.

"Absolutely. Never been more ready," I snapped, sudden strength returning to my wobbly legs. I hurried forward, desperate to escape into the waiting car.

"This isn't over Leah," Sam told me in a low, heavy voice as I brushed hastily passed him. "Someday you'll realize where you belong."

I ignored him and threw myself into the passenger seat, clutching myself to stop the trembling. Embry still stood facing Sam, his arms crossed over his chest. He was now so enormous that the two men stared each other down eye to eye.

"What are you doing here?" Embry asked him harshly as I tried not to look too much like I was cowering in my seat.

"I just had some things to discuss with Leah. Nothing I haven't already said to you," Sam replied evenly, but his voice was dark and rough.

"Are you that stupid-" Embry began heatedly, but I leaned across the driver's seat to interrupt him.

"C'mon, Tank. Let's just go. Please?"

He glanced back over his shoulder at me, dark anger twisting his features, but whatever he saw in my face stopped him in his tracks.

"Okay, Leah. We're going," he said, his voice surprising gentle. He threw one last glance over his shoulder at Sam before getting in and jerking the car into reverse.

Embry shot out of town, pushing the old car to it's limit while he grumbled darkly to himself. Whatever he was saying, I was too busy trying to hold myself together to pay attention.

How, _how_, could I have ever believed I was getting over Sam? How could I have dreamt that I was getting better at all? All I'd been doing was lying to myself. Sam had proven that to me the moment I'd caught his all too familiar scent on the wind. The pain was so intense I was literally reduced to clutching my sides to keep myself from shaking apart.

"Hey, hey, no shifting in the car, B," Embry suddenly exclaimed, watching me with real concern. It took a few seconds for his words to even register in my fogged brain.

"I'm not gonna shift. That's not why I'm shaking," I managed to mumble through my chattering teeth. Amazingly, it was true. Not once, not even when I'd wanted to rip Sam's head off and launch it across the country, had I been in danger of shifting. The pain, the incredible, sharp, ripping pain, was just too intense to be overridden by anger.

"Jeez, Leah. What did he say to you?" Embry asked fervently. The concern on his face was even stronger now, mixing in with the dark, black rage that had reared up the moment he saw Sam in my front yard.

"What did he say?" I repeated like a bizarre, demented parrot. I clutched myself tighter against the pains rocketing through me as each and every word he'd said replayed themselves in my head. What had he said? Nothing, but it was enough to completely destroy me. My god, it was so pathetic. None of my words could ever even prick him, but one phrase, one sentence, was enough to devastate me.

"He didn't say anything, really. Just that he wanted me to come back to his Pack," I forced out finally after the scowl on Embry's face grew frightening. It didn't make sense why he was so angry. It's not like my issues with Sam were anything new...

Oh, wait. Sam had said something about his talk with me being nothing he hadn't already said to Embry. So that's why Embry must be so ticked off! Sam had tried to convince him to come back, and Embry'd already told him to shove off.

My whirling brain kicked into overdrive, and everything suddenly made crystal clear, sickening sense.

Sam had been expecting Bella to die. And he'd been expecting Jacob to lose it and attack the vamps, reuniting the Packs. In the event that Jake didn't get himself killed, which, let's face it, was more than likely in that scenario, Sam had been counting on him to disappear again. Threat gone.

But now, with Jacob imprinted, he had to resort to other methods to get us back under his command. The truth was, he didn't really want me back. He wanted Embry, Quil, and Seth. Embry had already turned him down, maybe Quil, too. His next best bet was me. If I broke allegience with Jake, there was a good chance Seth at least would follow me. It was all a ploy, all of it. He didn't want _me_, not really. He just wanted what I could potentially get him.

Figuring all of this out had only taken a few seconds, but it had rocked me to my core. My stomach twisted, and I knew I was about to be violently sick.

"Pull over," I gasped, closing my eyes and swallowing convulsively. Embry took one look at my sweat-beaded, ghastly white face and jerked the car to a stop on the shoulder. I was out of the car and into the brush in a blinding rush, my whole body heaving with the force of my puking. Faintly, I registered the sound of something huge crashing away into the trees, but I was too busy being sick to care. Embry, I supposed, running away from me, the psychotic brain-case, as quickly as possible. Not that I could really blame him. Revisiting my morning hashbrowns wasn't my idea of a good time, either. I swallowed and gasped, clutching my stomach as I tried to pull myself together.

_"C'mon, Leah, c'mon. It's not like you didn't already know how much Sam doesn't care about you anymore. Get a grip. Stop acting like you're going to die," _I ordered myself.

The problem was that even though I knew how much Sam had wanted me to disappear, I never imagined he'd care so little about me to stoop to such a low ploy. To use the feelings he knew I still harbored for him against me. I _should've_ known. If I'd let myself think about it, I would've realized he'd already done something like this when he told Jared to use my nickname to convince me to come back to La Push.

The thought made my stomach heave again, and once more I was bent over double in the brush. Suddenly, something cold pressed against my forehead as a strong, hot arm braced my shoulders.

"It's okay, Leah. You're gonna be fine," Embry's voice muttered anxiously in my ear as I dry-heaved helplessly. The cold wetness on my face was refreshing, and I was finally able to take a few deep, painful breaths. I took the wet cloth from him with shaking hands, and it wasn't until I'd washed my face off that I realized it was the T-shirt he'd just been wearing.

"Thanks. I'm better now," I mumbled, handing it awkwardly back to him. He clenched it in one white-knuckled hand but kept his arm around my shoulders, guiding me back to the car.

"Seriously, Leah, what happened? What did he say?" he demanded, fury quivering in his voice.

I sank into my seat wearily without answering him. The violent shaking was finally tapering off, and I was suddenly bone-tired. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and fall into the sweet, black oblivion of sleep right there in Embry's car.

He slid into the driver's seat again, but turned to look at me instead of starting the car. I glanced at my watch and sighed heavily.

"Crap. I'm gonna be late unless we get moving," I told him in the strongest voice I could muster. My throat was painfully raw from being so wildly sick, and I longed for something cold to drink, or at least something to rinse my mouth out with.

"Too bad. We're not moving until you tell me what happened," he told me stubbornly, crossing his arms across his bare chest. I glared at him stubbornly, not willing to dredge those fresh memories up to the surface again.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay? Let's just go."

Embry shook his head. "No way. Tell me what he said so I can go rip his head off."

"He didn't say anything!" I exclaimed, exasperated, and then withered under his dark glare. "I already told you- he just wanted me to rejoin his Pack. Except that he doesn't really want me back. He just wants Seth, and you and Quil. He was just trying to use me..."

I trailed off, clutching at my sides again while Embry growled to himself and started up the car.

"See? Nothing any normal person would've gotten psycho over," I muttered. "And definitely not worth ripping his head off for, either. He can't help it if I'm pathetic."

"Leah, you are _not _pathetic. Sam knew exactly what he was doing to you, the bastard," Embry snarled. "And stop defending him!" he added, and I realized I'd opened my mouth to do just that.

"What difference does it make to you, anyway?" I snapped, quickly changing directions. He rolled his eyes with an annoyed grimace.

"What the hell kind of stupid question is that?" he demanded.

"Just what I said. Why do you care if I freak out just because Sam talked to me?"

"Okay, if someone stabbed me in the gut, what would _you_ do?" he shot at me, and I blinked, confused.

"Probably tear them into dog food," I blurted out before I had time to think about my answer.

"Exactly," Embry stated, like that explained everything. I glared at him and hunched down into my seat.

"That's completely different."

"Doesn't seem like it to me."

Miffed, I stared out the window without answering. He was way closer to the mark than he should be. I didn't really want people to know how every time I was faced with the fact that Sam no longer cared about me it left a new, gaping, bleeding hole that wouldn't heal.

We pulled into the parking lot, and I shoved my door open with a weary sigh. I felt so drained it was an effort to pull myself out of the seat.

"You sure you can work today?" Embry asked, a concerned frown creasing his forehead.

"I'm fine, really. I'm fine," I lied unconvincingly. "Let's just forget this ever happened, okay?"

"Sure. After I kick Sam's a-"

"No! No kicking anything, Tank. I mean it," I nearly shouted, absurdly pleased with the amount of force I'd managed to put into the words.

Embry gave me a crooked grin, but I could still see the subdued anger simmering in his dark eyes. "Is that an order, Beta-Wolf?"

"Like I could order you around," I snorted. "I'm just asking. As a friend."

Embry gave me a hard look, and I did my best to make my eyes as pleading as possible. I mean, beating Sam up would be a phenomenally stupid thing to do. Then the rest of the La Push pack would get involved, and we'd have another pack war on our hands. All because I'm a pathetic brain-case. Besides, Embry might end up getting hurt, and I really didn't want that to happen. Finally, he sighed and put his hand up solemnly.

"Alright. If it makes you happy, I promise I won't go beat Sam into a bloody pulp like he deserves."

"_Thank you_," I breathed fervently. "And, uh, sorry about your shirt."

"What's a puke-stained shirt between friends?" he joked with a shrug of his shoulders. "At least you didn't hurl in my car. That would've sucked."

"With all the trash in there, it'd blend right in," I feebly joked before I shut the door. My legs were still a bit wobbly as I headed toward the main doors, and Embry stuck his head out his window to frown at me.

"You _sure_ you're okay?"

"Oh, go away. You're gonna make me late," I shot back at him, but I managed a weak grin for his benefit before he peeled out of the parking lot. He was apparently still royally pissed off, and even though I was worried he might break his promise about Sam, it made me feel a little bit better. It was more comforting than I could've imagined to have a friend who cared when you were hurting. And for whatever, unfathomable reason, Embry cared enough to want to rip Sam's head off for talking to me.

I punched in quickly and took a slight detour to the bathroom so I could rinse out my mouth, grimacing as I caught sight of my reflection. No wonder Embry had thought I didn't look up to working today. My face was a sickly, pasty white color with huge, bruise-like rings under my eyes. I looked like a washed out druggie.

Ugh. I felt like one, too. It was amazing how much that five minute conversation with Sam had drained me. Okay, maybe it was my pathetic breakdown in the car that wiped me out. I hadn't had that kind of meltdown over him in a long, long time. I'd thought I'd gotten over that stage, but apparently I was still a complete loser when it came to dealing with him. Maybe it was just because I hadn't seen him in so long.

Yeah, that sounded like a good enough excuse.

Thank god Embry was the only one who knew about it. If anyone else had seen it, I think I might have died from shame.

I did my work automatically, shuffling through the store to restock the shelves since there were no customers at the moment. Sam's words kept playing on repeat in my head no matter what I tried to do to distract myself until I felt like screaming until I went hoarse. I was shaking again as the pain, duller now, like a nagging ache, throbbed in my chest.

Why, why, _why_ did he have to show up and drag me back down into hell again, just when I was starting to climb my way out?

"Leah? Are you feeling alright?" Mrs. Newton asked when I shuffled by her at the cash registers.

"Uh, yeah. I'm okay," I mumbled, even though I knew she could see the way the boxes in my arms were trembling.

"Are you sure? You look pretty awful," she said doubtfully. "You know, it's really slow today. If you'd like to go home, I think I could manage by myself until this afternoon."

I took a long minute to debate with myself. If I went home, I'd be all alone without anything to distract me from my misery. But then again, being at work wasn't helping distract me, either.

"Thanks, Mrs. Newton. That's probably a good idea. I'm not doing the best today," I sighed, setting the boxes down on the counter. She waved me out the door with some concerned advice about getting some rest, and I trudged wearily out into the half-sunlight of mid-morning.

For the first time, it felt like a colossal effort for me to shiver out of my human form into my familiar grey fur. Sighing, I flopped down on my belly, deciding to rest a bit before I took off for home.

_"Leah? I thought you were working," _Jacob's deep voice burst into my thoughts, and I jumped to my feet with a whimper. The waves of fury rolling off of him through our mind-connection were staggering.

_"Did something happen? What's got you so angry? One of the bloodsuckers do something?" _I snarled, totally pulled under by his anger. What the hell could've got him so rankled? Was Edward not letting him near Nessie or something? That was about the only thing I could come up with to justify his black mood.

He must've caught my train of thought, because he snorted in annoyance. _"Don't be dense, Leah. Nobody's got a problem with me and Nessie."_

_"Oh. Right. Well, then what-" _I started to ask, but I stopped in surprise as I realized he was running- fast- towards La Push. _"Wait a sec, where are you going?"_

_"Where do you think I'm going? I'm going to have a little talk with Sam, Alpha to Alpha," _he growled, and once again his black waves of fury threatened to drown me.

_"You're going to... Oh my god. Embry told you. He told you about this morning, didn't he?!"_ my thoughts were a painful, betrayed shriek. How could he? What did he do, run off and laugh over pathetic little me with Jake and the vamps right after he'd dropped me off? The sting of betrayal was so strong it brought tears of frustration and mortification to my eyes. I was going to rip him apart! I was going to shred him into bits and then use him as a chew toy!

_"Whoa, hey! Cut it out, Leah! You've got no reason to be mad at Embry. I made him tell me," _Jake insisted, cutting into my livid thoughts. _"And I __**need**__ to know about this kind of crap."_

_"No, you really don't," _I snapped back at him. _"And Embry had no right to tell you about it, either."_

_"Leah, give him a break. He wasn't planning on telling me anything. He shifted right after showing up, but Edward caught some of his thoughts and told me I'd better go after him. I got the gist of it before Embry even knew I'd shifted."_

Seeing it that way, through his memories, some of my anger faded. Okay, so it wasn't really Embry's fault. Stupid mind-reading leech! But seeing me- my pale, shaking, ghastly looking self being sick in the bushes- through Embry's memories was more than a little mortifying. And horrifying. Good grief, I looked like a total basket case.

_"What did Sam say to you, Leah?" _Jake demanded harshly.

_"Nothing! I'm just a pathetic brain-case, okay? Back off!" _I snarled in my thoughts. I was insanely grateful that he couldn't hear my unwilling whimper as the pain knifed through me again. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop the worst bits of Sam's words from surfacing, and groaned aloud when Jake caught them.

_"He __**said **__that to you? He actually- I'm gonna break his jaw!" _he snarled viciously. He was so incredibly furious now that I believed he meant what he said.

_"Jake, cut it out. There's no reason for you to talk to Sam-"_

_"He better pray talking is all he gets from me."_

I snapped my teeth in frustration_. "Oh, shut up. Look, nobody's gonna leave your pack. so there's no reason for you to freak out like this. Just turn around and go back to your vampire-baby like a good doggy."_

_"Leah, if you think for one second that's what this is all about, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought. You know I never wanted to have any of you guys follow me," _he snarled. I whined in confused frustration.

_"Well, then, what __**is **__this about?"_

_"Look, Leah, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but you're still in my Pack. Besides that, you're a friend. You don't deserve to be hurt like that-" _he paused for a second, snarling involuntarily while I winced at the memory of my own, shaking self- _"None of us want to see that, Leah."_

_"It's still my issue, Jacob. You really don't need to get involved," _I insisted, but my thoughts were subdued.

_"Remember when things were hell for me? The time you told Bella off?"_ he asked me, and I had to grimace a little at the memory. 'Told Bella off' was putting it very, very mildly. I was still stunned that Edward hadn't launched me across the river for that stunt. I could feel Jake grinning at my memories.

_"Just consider this payback for that."_

_"It's still stupid," _I groused. _"You're gonna start trouble between the Packs again."_

_"No, I'm not. I"m the Most High Alpha, remember? He's gonna listen to me whether or not he likes it. He won't bother you again, Leah. I promise you that."_

_"You aren't really going to break his jaw, are you?"_

_"That depends on him. Just get your furry butt over the the Cullen's and phase, okay?" _he snarled. He sensed my absolute rejection of that idea and growled fiercely.

_"Just do it, Leah. Unless you want to come help me break some bones."_

I grimaced bitterly, but there was no denying the Alpha order in his angry command. _"Jeez. I thought you weren't going to boss us around,"_ I grumbled, unwillingly heading toward the vamp's house.

_"This is one of those make-an-exception-to-the-rule kind of times. 'Sides, Nessie thinks you hate her now since you never came back."_

_"Oh, dear. Let me go put the WonderVamp's conscience at ease," _I snapped sarcastically, ticked off that he was making me go to the Cullen's partially so his precious Nessie would be happier. Stupid, annoying, stinky imprinting!

_"More speed, less whining. Just phase back already!" _

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" _I shot back. There was no point in arguing with him, so I pulled myself back into my human skin the minute I hit the Cullen's woods.

I hadn't even gotten my underwear on before I heard the commanding, angry howl shatter the stillness of the spring air. No matter where Sam was in La Push, no matter what he was doing, I knew he'd have no choice but to answer that call. I shivered just remembering the anger pouring off of Jake's thoughts and wondered how much of that would be translated through the Alpha to Alpha connection.

I neared the clearing of the Cullen's front lawn, and I could hear Nessie shrieking with laughter as she played some wild game. Whatever it was involved a lot of chasing, and Seth, Emmett, Bella, and Edward streaked around the lawn with her.

Naturally, Edward caught Bella around the middle, and they had one of their all-too-frequent, gag-inducing canoodling moments. Good grief, they didn't sleep, so why didn't they get enough of that crap in the privacy of their own cottage? Maybe Emmett's jokes about Edward being a prissy 100 year old virgin were true and they...

Oh, crap. Edward's head swiveled around to pin me with his penetrating, tawny eyes. Ugh! Annoying, mind-reading, nosy-

"Hello to you, too, Leah," he said with a smug little quirk of his mouth.

Darn it to Kansas! All my half-formed hopes of skulking around in the woods until Jake showed up and then beating a hasty retreat to La Push blew away like so much dandelion puff in the wind as all heads turned to find me. This day just couldn't get any worse.

Squaring my shoulders and mentally cursing Jake and his stupid Alpha edict (happily offending Edward's uptight sense of proper, ladylike language in the process), I stepped out of the sheltering shade of the trees into the lawn.

I'd already scraped the bottom of the Bad Luck Barrel today, right?

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**P.S.: **_Please forgive any grammatical/spelling errors. I'm too sick to proof read very well right now. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Starting Over

**Starting Over**

**AN:**_ Once again, a quick note of THANK YOUs to everyone who's read this story up to this point. I hope you're enjoying it!!  
__**THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART**__ to my reviewers! It's insanely helpful to hear if you're liking what I'm doing and any criticisms or flaws. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that for me.  
__**Disclaimer: **__S. Meyer owns the Twilight universe, and she's one rich lady because of it. I'm just a poor girl having some fun, so sueing would get you NOWHERE._

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"Hey, guys," I said lamely once I'd stepped out into the lawn. Awkwardly, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and waited for a response. The last time I'd been on the Cullen property, things had ended in a disaster; today I was just praying Lady Luck was already done messing with me.

"Leah!" Nessie exclaimed, all surprised excitement. She looked like she wanted to clap her hands and squeal for joy, and I eyed her with confused apprehension. She wasn't going to try to hug me or anything, was she?

"Uh, yeah. Hi," I returned uncertainly, making no move to go any closer to the group on the lawn. Edward, hearing my thoughts, reached over and scooped Nessie up into his arms. She patted his face happily, and he smiled across the expanse of grass at me, obviously trying to put me at ease. It wasn't really working.

"Yes, I think so, too," he murmured to Nessie, answering her unspoken communication. I eyed them warily, thinking loudly that cryptic conversations like that were hardly likely to make me feel more welcome. Edward grinned wider, and I immediately began singing the most annoying song I could come up with as off-key as I could in my head. The slight grimace he gave was extremely satisfying.

"Uh, aren't you supposed to be working?" Seth asked lightly, but I could see the concern lurking behind his eyes. Great. Apparently he knew about my morning escapade, too, thanks to Embry the Blabber Wolf. Ugh!

"It was dead quiet today, so Mrs. Newton gave me today off. Jake the Bossy Alpha told me to come here," I groused, hunching down as I shoved my hands as deeply as they'd go in my pockets.

"Doesn't want any witnesses when he kills Sam, huh?" Emmett chuckled, and my mouth dropped open in disbelieving anger.

What. The. _Hell_.

Emmett knew about it? They _all_ did? That was it. The last freakin' straw. _Somebody _was going to get seriously injured for this.

"Where's Embry?" I growled furiously at Seth, my face a mortified scarlet.

"Uh, the kitchen, I think," he answered nervously. Edward and Bella gave Emmett matching, exasperated glares as I stomped past them.

"What?" he asked, putting his hands up innocently as they trailed in my wake towards the kitchen.

"Uh, Leah," Bella said in a low, nervous voice, "it wasn't really Embry's fault..."

"_No kidding? You mean it was really your snooping, mind-reading leech of a husband's fault?" _I thought viciously to myself as I yanked open the front door and marched inside.

"Actually, it was more Jake's than mine," Edward corrected quietly. "Nessie wanted to know why he was so angry."

Argh! Screwed again by the annoying, unavoidable imprinting crap! Oh, when Jacob got back here, I was going to bite him _so hard_ it'd make his ancestors bleed!

Edward gave a tiny snicker at my violent thoughts, but I ignored him. Embry was first on my list of dead Pack members for spilling the beans in the first place. I wasn't really sure how I'd get back at Edward for starting the mess, since he could hear every angry idea I came up with. Bloody leech.

The kitchen was bright and cozy in the midday light, and Embry, as usual, was seated at the counter stuffing his mouth with the vamp's food. The look of lazy contentment on his face didn't even falter when he turned to see me standing in the doorway, framed by an eager Emmett, an amused Edward, a confused Nessie, and nervous-looking Bella and Seth.

"Oh, hey, Leah. Got off of work-" he started, but I rudely interrupted him by stomping forward.

"Embry Call! You... you..." I shouted, but that's as far as my rant got. Suddenly I was as calm as a cat in the sun, and feeling twice as good. "Oooh, yeah."

"S'matter, B? You angry about something?" Embry asked unconcernedly, focusing more on his food than me and my possible pissed-off rant.

"Um, I think I was," I scratched my head, and then decided it wasn't worth bothering about. Mmmm, those stools looked mighty comfortable, though. I floated over to one and sank down with a sigh of pure bliss.

"Jasper, I think you're overdoing it a little," Esme whispered, and for the first time I noticed the scarred vamp sitting silently in the corner of the kitchen, obliviously reading his book.

Oh _ho_. So _that's_ what happened to my anger. Right at the moment, though, I was too calmly relaxed to care. In fact, I didn't really want it to stop.

"No, no. S'all good. I like it," I told them, waving a lazy hand and laying my head down on the counter. "I'm feeling kind of... groovy."

Embry reached over and patted the top of my head as everyone exchanged amused, laughing glances. Seth moved forward to get in on the food action at the counter.

"Wierd. I don't feel that much different," he mused as Esme helped to fill his plate to overflowing.

"That's 'cause you're always like this. My brother, the giant, happy wolf," I sighed contentedly. Seth eyed me warily and shook his head before he headed back outside with his food. I just giggled.

"Jazz! You got Leah _high_, man!" Emmett exclaimed, bounding over to give his brother an enthusiastic high-five.

"It's not funny, boys. Jasper..." Esme said quietly, her sweet, soft voice turning slightly stern.

"Actually, I think she likes it, Esme," Edward told her, an amused glint in his eyes. Bella smacked him on the arm as Nessie stared at me in open wonderment. I suppose the goofy grin pasted on my face was a first-time sight for her.

I made a supreme effort to raise my head and nod. "Yep. I haven't felt this good in... ever. Dude, you should, like, sell this. Ya'know, A hundred bucks for an hour of pure bliss."

Embry snickered into his plate of food as Emmett guffawed. It looked like Jasper was biting his lips to keep from grinning, and even Edward the Prude coughed to hide his laugh.

"Oops. That came out bad. You know what I meant," I clarified, too comfortable to care that I was embarrassing myself.

"Nessie-baby, why don't we go check on your aunts and see how many outfits they've found for you," Bella exclaimed as she grabbed Nessie from Edward and headed out of the kitchen.

"Jasper, really," Esme implored, and he put his hands up innocently.

"I'm not doing it on purpose. I was just keeping Embry calm, and she walked into it," he defended, and she sighed in defeat. The heavy waves of contentment lightened slightly, and I pulled myself back into a sitting position, propping my head on my hand instead. Esme looked marginally happier now that I wasn't melting off of my stool.

"I don't need any calming," Embry insisted, and I agreed. As long as that plate kept getting refilled with steaming, delicious smelling food, I doubted anything would bother him.

"Hey, is this gonna give me the munchies?" I demanded, watching as Esme filled his plate yet again.

"Are you hungry, Leah?" she asked kindly, and I gave a tiny nod, waiting for the tension and embarrassment to set in. It didn't. All I felt was comfortable and... happy. Esme smiled, and it was one of the most wonderfully kind, motherly smiles I'd ever seen. It would have warmed me all the way down to my toes, if I wasn't already so warm and tingly that I felt like I was wrapped up in a cocoon of fluffy blankets.

"Will one of you fix her a plate while I go check on Embry's shirt?" she asked as she headed out of the room.

"Sure thing, Esme," Emmett replied with an easy grin, and she patted him on the cheek as she passed. As soon as she walked out the door, my head was back on the counter again, dragged under by another wave of relaxation. Oooh, man. All my bones were turning into goo! Before I could blink, there was a mound of mouth-watering food placed tantalizing in front of my face.

"Eat up, Leah. It's about time you started to look less like a scarecrow," Emmett told me cheerfully, and I managed to prop my head back up on my hand so I could get some food into my mouth.

"Like the "Wizard of Oz"? _Oh, if I only had a braaaain!"_ I giggled before taking a huge bite.

"Naw, more like a stick with a head on top," he informed me. "You need to get some curves back. Only a dog wants a bone, you know."

"Emmett," Edward groaned warningly as Embry nodded sagely and Jasper hid a snicker behind his book.

"Most of the guys I know _are _dogs," I told him seriously, then took an enormous bite of my buttery muffin.

"I'm just saying- you gotta have a little cushion for the pushin'. Right, bros?" he appealed to his brothers.

"Do _not_ include me in this conversation," Edward pleaded, rolling his eyes. Jasper just continued to hide behind his book, and Embry was too busy eating to be bothered.

"Tank, do you _ever_ stop eating?" I asked as he shoved an entire muffin in his mouth at once.

He swallowed and grinned at me. "The Tank needs fuel."

"Tank? Wha- how come he gets a cool nickname?" Emmett demanded with a mock-whine. I chewed slowly while I regarded him thoughtfully.

"You mean in the hundred-some years you've been alive, nobody's ever given you a nickname?" I asked finally. Mmm, tummy full. The floor sure looked like a nice place to nap. Yeah, right over there in the sun...

"Technically, he hasn't even been alive for a century yet," Jasper said quietly, then broke off in astonishment as I got off my stool and stretched out on the floor.

"Maybe you _are _overdoing it a bit, Jazz," Edward murmured as I made myself comfortable on the tiles.

Embry leaned over the counter to look at me. "Hey, you gonna finish your plate, B?"

"Naw, you go ahead. So how come you never got any nicknames, Emmett?" I mumbled sleepily.

Emmett grinned wickedly. "Oh, I've got a few-"

"Bedroom ones don't count," Edward interrupted swiftly, and I rolled over to glare ineffectively at him.

"Prude," I muttered, and Emmett laughed again.

"Jazz, dude, you've gotta get Leah high more often!"

"Like I said, I'm not doing it on purpose. None of the rest of you are acting drugged," he insisted, eyeing me with confusion.

Esme walked into the kitchen then, carrying a folded piece of cloth. "Here you are, Embry. Good as new. How's your food, Leah?... Leah?"

Emmett, Embry, and Edward pointed silently at me, stretched out like a happy, fat cat in the sun. Jasper ducked behind his book again.

"What are you doing on the floor? Boys, what is she doing on the floor?" Esme demanded, confusion and accusation in her sweet voice.

"Don't mind me. I'm just all blissed out," I told her reassuringly, but apparently I failed to put her mind at ease.

"Honestly, Jasper. Enough is enough," she reprimanded him, and he gave me a sheepish look.

"Sorry," he muttered, and suddenly the blanket of good feelings was gone. It didn't take long before I realized that the floor was actually pretty hard. I sat up quickly, shaking my head experimentally a few times. I still felt pretty good. Calm, definitely. And was that lingering feeling... happiness? Wierd.

Oh, god. What had I just been saying? And doing? Was I actually _giggling_ with the leeches??

And just who the hell did Emmett think he was, telling me to get some curves? That bloodsucker was just one kick short of a boot up his rear! And Embry...

"Embry Call," I snarled, and the look he gave me now was a mixture of sheepish apology and hesistant concern.

"Jacob's back," Edward suddenly murmured, freezing me right in my tracks. All my ideas of dragging Embry out of the house by his ear until we got somewhere more private so I could tear him to pieces disappeared as I scrambled to my feet.

"Ah, man. That didn't take long. Must've been a weak fight," Emmett said disappointedly.

"Where is he?" I hissed at Edward, all the happy feelings absolutely forgotten in the wake of my surging embarrassment and fury.

"He just phased back. Leah-" his reply was cut off as I brushed swiftly passed him towards the front door.

"Alright! Leah verses Jacob!" Emmett exclaimed. "My bet's on Jake!"

"I don't know, man. She's got a lot of rage," I heard Jasper reply. Apparently I was going to have an audience. Wonderful.

"Ten bucks says she punches him in less than five minutes," Embry threw in, and I nearly turned around to punch _him_.

"I'm not punching Jake, Tank. You, maybe," I snarled.

"I'll take that bet," Emmett told him, and I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"Will you please just _go away?_ I'm not here for your amusement. Not for your bets, or your mind-reading snooping, or your freaky mood-altering mojo!"

"Hey guys. What's going on?" Jake asked, coming up behind me.

"You!" I snarled, whipping around to face him, pointing a shaking finger at his face. It took a lot of effort not to phase and bite his head off. Literally. Yeah, _that_ wouldn't be at all embarrassing, phasing in front my little audience of gamblers.

Jake took a step back from my accusing glare, looking totally confused. "What's up, Leah?"

"You- you- you stupid, imprinted, moronic _blabbermouth_! Did you have to inform everybody about my private issues? And then send me here just to make my day that much more fun?"

"Whoa, hey! I didn't tell everybody. Just Nessie," he defended weakly, backing up and putting his hands up innocently.

"Right. You just told Nessie _and every other vamp in the house because you said it out loud!_ Vampire hearing, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that," he mumbled sheepishly, and I had to work hard not to punch him. Guess Embry might not have been so far off with his little bet.

"_Idiot_. Why couldn't you have made something up? Did you have to go into detail?" I spat out angrily, and he had the grace to look suitably apologetic.

"It's not that simple, Leah. Besides, doesn't it kind of make things easier, having everyone know-"

My fist slammed into his jaw with a resounding crack, and he staggered back a step or two.

"Yes! Four minutes and 24 seconds. Pay up, dude," Embry exulted behind me while Emmett groaned.

"Ow. _Darn_ it," I muttered, cradling my hand. That resounding crack had apparently been my fingers snapping like dry twigs. Holy crap, that guy's face was hard.

"Jeez, Leah. You've got a nasty right hook," Jacob said, rubbing his chin ruefully.

"Ha! Yeah, right," I muttered angrily, nursing my hand as the ache set in.

"Whoa, B, are you okay?" Embry asked me, concern edging his voice when he noticed my grimace. I just scowled in reply.

"You should get those set properly before they heal wrong," Edward told me quietly. I pulled a face at him while Embry and Jake leaned forward to get a look at my mangled hand. That was all fine and dandy for him to say, but I didn't have the first clue how to set bones, and they'd be healed before I could get to the hospital and see Carlisle. Any other doctor was completely out of the question.

"Actually, I've received several medical degrees. I could set them for you, if you'd like," he told me, carefully nonchalant. He knew how much I detested being touched by a vamp's icy skin, how I'd always gone out of my way to avoid any physical contact with them at all. But now, remembering my epiphany from this morning, that lightening bolt of understanding in my talk with Sam, I just sighed.

"Okay, yeah. Whatever. Do what you gotta do, then," I muttered, thrusting my hand out to him with a grimace. Even though I knew now that I didn't actually hate the Cullen vamps, it didn't mean I wanted to get all cozy with them, either.

Edward blinked at my outstretched hand for a moment. "Er, I think it might be better if we went inside to fix this."

I shrugged and followed him inside with my little audience trailing behind me. Embry took my mangled hand and held it up to examine it gently.

"Dang, B. How many did you break?"

"All of them, I think," I replied with a wince, pulling my hand back to cradle it against my chest.

"Does this mean Jake won?" Jasper asked indifferently as Edward motioned for me to have a seat on the sofa. Frowning, I perched on the cushions as Jacob and Embry plopped down on either side of me.

Edward left the room, and Nessie came flying down the stairs, followed closely by Bella and her doting aunts. They joined the group around the sofa, peering at me curiously. Nessie scrambled joyously onto Jacob's lap and gave him a giant hug, like he'd been gone a week instead of an hour. She patted his face, and he smiled at her.

"No, I'm fine. Leah broke her hand, but your dad's gonna fix it," he told her with a gentle smile. I nearly stomped on his foot in annoyance.

"How'd you break it?" Nessie asked me, sympathetic concern in her pretty, bell-like voice. She leaned forward just a tiny bit to get a better look at the mangled hand cradled against my chest, and it took a supreme effort on my part not to lean hard against Embry to get farther away from her.

"I'm just having a really bad day," I muttered, shooting Jacob a dark, venomous glare.

"Aw, c'mon Leah. Don't stay mad. You can punch me again if you want," he said earnestly.

"And break my other hand? No, thanks."

Bella nodded wisely. "Ah. You forgot to tuck your thumb in."

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded, while most of the vamps in the room chuckled quietly and Jacob looked a little sheepish. Since when did Bella know anything about punching people?

Edward hurried back in then, followed by an anxious-looking Esme. Great. Just great. The entire vamp family, minus Carlisle, all crowded around watching me get my bones put back together. Boy, had I been wrong when I thought I'd already hit the bottom of the Bad Luck Barrel earlier.

Reluctantly, I put my poor, aching, broken hand into Edward's frigid, but still gentle, grasp. He probed along the bones, eliciting an unwilling wince from me whenever he touched a tender spot.

"It seems like most of the breaks have almost mended. They'll need to be re-broken to be straightened," he muttered after a minute. "I wish we still had the X-ray machine here."

"Should I call Carlisle?" Esme murmured anxiously as the whole group leaned forward to get a better look.

"C'mon, they're just fingers. Snap 'em and pull 'em straight again, already," I ordered testily, more on edge from all the unwanted attention than anything else.

"Are you sure? If I don't do this correctly, Carlisle will need to fix them again," Edward informed me carefully. Even if he couldn't read my mind, the eye roll I gave him would've been enough.

"Alright. This is going to hurt. Maybe Jasper should-"

"No way! I've already had one trip too many on the Feel Good Train today, thank you. Just do it," I snarled. Next to me, Embry tried to hide a grin as Emmett's chuckle rumbled the floor from where he'd flopped himself down to watch Edward playing doctor.

"Did I miss something?" Jacob asked, completely confused when even Edward smiled to himself.

"No!" I insisted loudly before one of them could launch into the embarrassing tale of Leah on Jasper Crack. Unfortunately for me, I'd forgotten about Nessie the Living Movie sitting on Jake's lap. Smiling, she pressed her hand to his face, replaying some of the most embarrassing moments of my life. At least she'd left halfway through...

Jacob let out an enormous, barking laugh that shook the whole couch, and I wondered if my face could explode from blushing so furiously.

"I know, right? It was awesome!" Emmett exclaimed, laughing along with him. "But you haven't heard about what happened _after_ Nessie left..."

"_Shut up!"_ I hissed, elbowing a grinning Embry in the ribs as hard as I could.

"If you're done shaking the couch around, Jake, I'm ready to start," Edward said quietly, and for the first time in my life, I was grateful for his reserved solemnity. Jake and Embry instantly sobered up, and I braced myself silently. The Quilete wolves might heal fast, but that didn't mean we felt less pain.

Edward's icy fingers took hold of one of my aching bones just at it's sorest spot, and before I could take a deep breath or close my eyes, he wrenched it, hard. The resounding snap echoed in the silent room, and I bit down hard on the inside of my cheeks to keep from shrieking. Nessie whimpered for me, and Jake patted her soothingly. Bella turned a strange shade of green; I wondered if vampires could actually get sick to their stomachs. Ew, there was a gross thought. I really didn't want her hurling old blood all over the place.

"Jacob, why don't you and Bella take Nessie to find Seth? I think he fell asleep outside somewhere," Edward said casually without looking up from the finger he was taping straight.

"Huh? Oh- right. Good idea," Jake answered after a confused minute. He squeezed my shoulder awkwardly after he stood up. "Sorry about your hand, Leah. And the other stuff, too."

I wanted to stay mad at him. I really did. Unfortunately for me, Jacob was just a really, really hard guy to stay angry with. That, and I'd kind of gotten it off my chest when I'd punched him. Kind of. Really, I was just bone-tired and couldn't keep up more than one emotion at a time anymore. Right now, I was dealing with 'agony'.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go away before I break any more bones on your hard skull," I muttered. He grinned and banged out the front door with Bella and Nessie, Rosalie trailing along behind them like she'd already gotten bored with watching me get tortured. Little Alice wrapped her arms around Jasper's waist and settled in comfortably, apparently not disturbed by the sound of cracking bones.

"So... what exactly is the Feel Good Train?" she chirped in her twinkly, bell voice, and I sighed in irritation.

"Nothing. My fault- I just... overdid things a little," Jasper said quickly as Esme flashed him a significant look.

"Ready for the next one?" Edward asked me, and I gritted my teeth and nodded. Embry took hold of my good hand and squeezed it sympathetically. I would have pulled away in surprise, but Edward cracked another bone and I squeezed his hand with an involuntary, white-knuckled grip.

"You're doing good, Leah. Only about four more to go," Edward reassured me calmly, sounding exactly like a collected, detached doctor in an ER.

"Four more? I've only got 5 fingers," I reminded him tightly, still gripping Embry's hand. If the tightness of my grasp bothered him, he didn't show it.

Edward smiled wryly. "Some of them were broken in more than one place."

"_Dude_. You punched him so hard, you shattered your hand!" Emmett exclaimed from his spot on the floor. "Rock on, sister!"

"Glad you're excited about it," I muttered angrily, wishing he was laying close enough so I could give him a quick kick in the gut. I'd probably just end up breaking a few toes, though. Why couldn't Jacob just let me go home instead of sending me here?

"Wonder how things went with Sam, though. We never got a chance to ask him," Emmett mused, and once more I squeezed Embry's hand with a white-knuckled grip. I don't think he even noticed; the dark frown from this morning was back on his face as he balled his other hand into a fist.

"I don't want to know. Really," I snapped, wishing for the millionth time that this entire day had never happened.

Embry turned to look at me, still frowning. "But, B-"

"No. Forget it. The whole thing was just stupid, and I don't want to think about it anymore."

If I did, if I had to hear a play-by-play of Jake's 'discussion', I'd lose it. Edward snapped another finger, twice, and I was a teensy bit glad to have the excrutiating pain to focus on. At least it gave me a perfectly logical reason to scream.

"Ah, yes. That would make sense," Edward suddenly replied to an unspoken thought, nodding as he taped up my third finger.

"You know, that's _really_ annoying," I ground out through gritted teeth.

"Tell me about it," Emmett agreed dryly. "Try living with him for a few decades."

"I was just thinking about why you got, ah, _high_ earlier," Jasper explained, sounding a little embarrassed. "I'm fairly sure it's because you're... vulnerable right now. Emotionally exhausted."

Oh, for the love of- _that _wasn't at all mortifying. Crooked fingers or not, I wanted nothing more than to get up and march out of that house.

_Snap, __**SNAP. **_Ugh. Now I felt sick to my stomach from the pain.

"Last ones," Edward murmured reassuringly. Esme's hand fluttered out like she wanted to pat me sympathetically, hovering a few inches away from my skin before she let it fall limply back down. I tried to slide my hand out of Embry's huge one, but it was trapped in an iron grasp. I don't think he was even aware of my tugging as he scowled unseeingly at the far wall.

"That should do it," Edward said finally, smoothing down the last piece of tape around my fingers gently. Ruefully, I examined my now mummified hand as the pain eased into the throbbing ache of my enhanced healing.

"Thanks," I muttered, meaning it even if my voice suggested otherwise. He gave me a crooked, unamused smile.

"Wait until Carlisle checks it over before thanking me. You might have to go through all this again."

Alice's eyes glazed over for a brief second. "She'll have to come back tomorrow to see him. He'll be at the hospital late tonight."

"Great," I groaned. I'd been planning to never come near this place again.

"At any rate, you shouldn't shift until you've seen him and we're sure everything's healed properly," Edward continued, scooping up his medical supplies. _Double _great. There went my escape plan. I'd been planning on sprinting home as soon as the ache in my fingers let up. Ah, well. Guess I'd just be hoofing it human-style. No way was I sticking around here for the next disaster to hit.

Finally, I managed to tug my hand out of Embry's and stand up. Emmett and Jasper were goodnaturedly arguing about whether Jake or I had won our little spat, but the psychotic, bloodsucking pixie pinned me with an intense stare.

I edged nervously toward the door, never turning my back to her. She may stand a good head shorter than me, but something about her always had me on edge. Like I was terrified she was going to come at me with a curling iron and some hot wax.

My eyebrows were just fine, thank you. Okay, so I hadn't plucked them in a long time. A _really_ long time. But did she have to stare at me like she wanted to hold me down and yank them out by the roots right there?

"You know, short hair really works for you. It just needs a little fixing up. I could cut it for you."

The words popped out of her mouth like she couldn't help herself. Emmett and Jasper stopped mid-argument to swivel their heads to watch my reaction, and Embry's eyes flickered between Alice and I so fast I wondered if he'd get dizzy.

I couldn't even answer her for several long, silent minutes. I thought it might be the first time she'd ever even spoken to me directly, and I wondered if she realized that. I supposed my body language was screaming, _"Whoa! No WAY, lady!"_, but for reasons I couldn't even identify, I didn't want to be rude to her.

Maybe it was just because her offer was sort of tempting. I mean, I'd seen some of the miracles she'd worked with human Bella...

"Uh, no thanks. I mean, maybe some other time. Yeah," I finally stuttered out, stumbling backwards for the door. I banged my bad hand against the doorknob, gave a muffled curse, yanked it open, and bolted.

"Way to go Alice. I'd say you officially scared her off from here for a long time," I heard Emmett grumble.

"Right. Like whatever the Jasper Feel Good Train was didn't already do that," she snapped back. "Darn it. She'd be so fun to make over, too."

Sometimes I really cursed my excellent wolf hearing. Time to get away from this house, and fast. Unfortunately, Seth caught up with me at the bottom of the steps, dragging his little search party with him.

"Hey, Leah. How's the hand? I can't believe you broke it on Jake's face!" he exclaimed, and I briefly considered seeing if _his _face would break any of my fingers.

"Yeah, well. Stupid me, right?" I muttered, pushing past him to head across the lawn.

"Where are you going? You're not supposed to phase when your bones are healing!" he called after me. Yeah, he'd know all about that, wouldn't he, since Bella broke some of his trying to kill Jacob only a few months ago. Maybe Sam was right and none of us should be here at all.

I merely growled an annoyed "I _know_" over my shoulder at him before plunging into the thick woods surrounding the lawn. I'd gone a fair distance before I realized someone was following right behind me.

I whirled around to shout at whoever it was, assuming it was Seth, and came face to face with Embry.

"What the- shouldn't you be collecting your ten dollars from Emmett or something?" I demanded harshly.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Naw. I can get it later. Hey, thanks for winning me that, by the way."

"Oh, _sure. _No problem. I just got a broken hand for it, but hey- you won your little bet," I sarcastically snapped as I held my bandaged fingers up for proof.

"I didn't think you'd hurt yourself," he grimaced. "My fingers wouldn't have snapped like that."

"Well, whoohoo for you. Next time, _you_ punch him then."

"Next time, ask me and I will."

"Right," I snorted, and then I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose with my good fingers. "What do you want, Tank?"

He rocked back on his heels, his hands shoved into the back pockets of his jeans. The grin on his face was easy and relaxed, but his eyes regarded me cautiously, like he was afraid I was going to lose it any moment. Well, I suppose the lovely "emotionally exhausted" label Mojo Master Jasper had slapped on me sort of warrented that.

"I dunno. I'm just following you, I guess," he replied.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, I figured that part out. I'm just wondering _why_."

"Well, I know you're having a pretty rotten day, and I just wanted to, you know, cheer you up or something. That's what friends do, right? It's not so wierd."

"Yeah, actually it is," I told him bluntly. "I mean, I'm a messed up wreck. And I'm a bitter, bitchy harpy. Generally, everyone just wants me to disappear."

He grinned broadly at me. "I don't want you to disappear."

"Ugh! You are so... so... Look, I get the fact that your two best friends imprinted on kids and all, but why don't you go hang out with Seth or something?" I demanded, fighting the urge to stomp my foot in frustration. I didn't even know why I was getting so upset. Who cared what his reasons were? Did it really matter if he was just using me to kill the time? I was going to ruin everything, just because I was greedy and wanted him like me for me, not just because he was bored.

Embry folded his arms across his broad chest as he regarded me seriously. "Leah, when are you going to get it through your thick, stubborn head that the world doesn't hate you? Yeah, I could hang out with Seth instead, but I'd rather spend time with you. Sure, you've got issues, but so does everybody. You're a good person, and I just like being around you, okay?"

Well, what in the world was I supposed to say to that? I was floored, completely dumbfounded. Sure, I'd hoped we were building a tentative friendship, but I'd thought it was merely convenience on his side. Instantly, I forgave him completely for accidentally spilling the beans about my unexpected encounter with Sam this morning. Nobody had said anthing remotely that nice to me in a long, long time.

"Besides, you're prettier than Seth," Embry added with a smirk, and suddenly I didn't know whether to smack him or blush.

"That's only because you've never seen him in a dress," I managed to mumble and was rewarded by his deep laugh.

"See? Another reason I like hanging out with you, B-Wolf. You're hilarious," he chuckled, giving way more credit to my lame joke than it deserved. He waggled his eyebrows at me. "Especially when you're high on Jasper..."

I flushed red from top to bottom with embarrassment and fury, shaking all over. "Oh, ha _ha_. Very funny. Yeah, let's all laugh at crazy Leah."

Abruptly, I was crushed by Embry's massive arms in a bear hug so tight my ribs creaked under the pressure. I squeaked in protest and tried unsuccessfully to wriggle free.

"C'mon, Leah, don't be mad. You've got to learn to laugh at yourself a little bit again. Nobody's making fun of you or anything. Besides, it was kind of nice to see you happy like that. So don't be mad," he said, his voice rumbling through his chest under my ear. I scowled, but I stopped struggling. It was totally useless anyway. Even with my inhuman strength, he was still incredibly stronger than me.

"Right. That's easy for you to say. You weren't trying to take a nap on their kitchen floor," I muttered into his shirt. He chuckled, vibrating my ear.

"Yeah, Esme wasn't too happy about that," he agreed. "And don't worry about what Emmett said, either. I think you've got great curves."

Another statement that made me feel all warm and tingly that I just didn't know how to answer! I could hardly give him a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek and tell him I thought he was the sweetest guy in the world for boosting my poor, mangled ego a tiny bit. Instead, I opted for the safest reply I think of.

"You really stink, Tank."

It was true. The shirt under my cheek was curling my nose with it's icy stench. Embry laughed again and loosened his iron arms from around me.

"No shifting, alright? Don't want to screw your hand up again," he said seriously and I grimaced at him.

"It's pretty much healed. I don't think it'd do any damage."

"Yeah, but why risk it? Look, I'll drive you home," he said, grinning hugely at me. I started to refuse, but then closed my mouth and regarded him seriously for a few moments. A ride would actually be really nice...

"Alright. If you're sure you don't mind," I finally said, a tiny bit uncertainly.

"What are friends for, right?" he asked, shrugging cheerfully. I followed him out of the woods, smiling a little bit in spite of myself. I could hardly remember what friends were for anymore, but I had a feeling Embry was going to help me figure that out.

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**AN: **_Sorry if this chapter's wierd... wrote it while I was really sick. Also, please let me know if it was way too long, or if the length was okay. I tend to write really, really long chapters. Thanks!_


	6. Tip Toeing

**Tip Toeing**

**AN: **_Thanks everyone for reading this story! And an amazingly loud shout out to everyone who's reviewed so far: __**THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!!! **__What an inspiration to keep writing! Hope you like this chapter. It's really not my favorite....Ah, well. Next one will hopefully be better, so please bear with me. I'd appreciate any critiques on how to make this chapter less boring. Thanks!!  
Yadda, yadda, disclaimer, etc._

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Two weeks had nearly passed, and I'd somehow managed to avoid going back to the Cullen's for a repeat visit. The nasty stomach flu making it's way through Forks and La Push certainly helped, since Carlisle spent as much time at the hospital as he could without raising suspicions. I hoped for the very unlikely chance that everyone would forget about my little smashed hand incident so I wouldn't have a reason to go back there at all. Bad things happened when I spent time with the leeches.

April was blending into May, and for the first time in several years, I was actually excited to see Spring. It felt like freedom to me, like a physical reminder that I was coming back to life with the fresh, green plants. Corny, I know, but that's how it felt.

This morning, the sun shone sporadically through the fluffy white clouds floating across the sky, and my feet flew over the worn path faster than any normal human could hope to run. Since the day I had my run-in with Sam, I'd taken to running- sprinting, really- human style every morning. And every day, I got _faster_. I thought I might be able to run as fast as my Pack mates now in their wolf forms. Maybe it was a compensation for me being smaller and weaker than them- and obviously more breakable. Whatever the reason, I couldn't deny the certain thrill tearing through the forest like that gave me.

My feet slowed abruptly as I passed my self-designated ending spot, and I glanced at my watch hopefully. _Yes!_ Another ten seconds shaved off of my best time. I wondered if it would make any difference to my speed as a wolf, but I was too chicken to phase yet. What if Edward and Embry were right and it _did _mess up something in my hand?

I rounded the corner to my house and was surprised to see Embry's rusty, old Ford parked in the driveway. Embry himself leaned nonchalantely against it, his massive arms crossed over his chest as he watched me jog up to him.

"Morning, B," he greeted casually as I slowed to a stop in front of him.

"Hey, Tank. What's up? I'm not working today," I said, tilting my head to scrutinize him with some confusion.

"Oh, so I'm only allowed to hang out with you when I'm driving you to work?" he asked with a grin, and I grimaced sheepishly.

"Well... no, but..."

He grinned wider. "Besides, I _am_ planning on driving you somewhere."

Now I just stared at him in confusion. What the hell was he talking about?

"Carlisle's got the day off, and it's about time you got your hand checked out," he announced, and I bristled immediately.

"Oh, hell no. No way! There's no reason he needs to see my hand. It's healed perfectly fine, see?" I flashed my hand at him, all the fingers straight, and backed up nervously. I did _not_ want to spoil this perfectly beautiful day by heading into certain disaster at the Vamps'.

Embry rolled his eyes at me. "Cut the crap, Leah. Carlisle'll just get Sam's permission to cross the border if you don't get it checked out soon."

I paled at the mention of Sam's name but kept a dark scowl on my face. "I'll go some other time, okay? I'll... stop in and see him at the hospital or something. I've got other things to do right now."

"No, you don't," Embry laughed. "You've got as much going on today as I do, which is absolutely nothing."

"Yeah, well, thanks for pointing out how pathetic my life is," I muttered, stung by the truth of his words. Scowling, I headed toward my front door with every intention of slamming it in his face.

Embry heaved an exasperated sigh. "Leah, don't make me throw you into the car myself. Because I will."

"Ha. You would not," I snorted, turning back to roll my eyes at him.

"Wanna bet?" he taunted with a grin. His eyes suddenly twinkled mischieviously, and my mouth went dry. He wouldn't dare. Would he?

I spun back toward the door, scrambling to reach the safety of the house, when his long, heavily muscled arms snaked around me from behind. My shriek came out as a pained "oof!" when my stomach connected with his collarbone as he hefted me effortlessly over his shoulder. He merely chuckled when I pounded my fists uselessly against his back.

"Embry Call, you put me down _right now_, or so help me, I'll...I'll.." I bit out furiously, too angry to even come up with a suitable threat. He just laughed at me again while he tossed me across the driver's seat and climbed in behind me. Before I could even straighten myself out, he was half way down my street heading out of La Push.

"You'll what?" he drawled, flashing me an innocent grin. I huffed angrily and crossed my arms tightly across my chest.

"I don't know. But it's going to be painful. Really, really painful," I assured him in a deadly voice. It didn't surprise me, although it irritated me, that he didn't look worried in the slightest. Meh. Stupid, near-invincible wolf boys. I slumped down in my seat with the darkest scowl I could manage, silently contemplating how badly I'd get hurt jumping out of the fast-moving car.

"Aw, c'mon, Leah. What's the big deal about having Carlisle check your hand? You were fine with Edward fixing it up," Embry said, flashing his best grin at me. Good lord, it was difficult to stay angry at him when he was being cute like that.

"Tank, have you noticed what kinds of things happen when I go to that house? Freak-outs, broken bones, 'accidentally' getting high from the Mojo Master? Are you remembering all that?" I snapped irritably. "Bad things happen when I have anything to do with the leeches."

Embry frowned. "You should stop calling them that. You sound like Sam."

I shot him a startled look; he actually sounded angry when he muttered that. The frown on his face was dark, and he stared out the windshield with hard eyes. I wanted to shrink into my seat until I disappeared.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it- it's just a bad habit," I mumbled, looking awkwardly out of the window. Embry glanced over at me, his frown smoothly replaced by his grin.

"Naw, no worries. It's no big deal. I was just thinking about Sam before, and it..." he broke off in mid-sentence at the involuntary twitch I gave. "Mojo Master? Man, Emmett's gonna have a field day if he hears that one. Poor Jasper," he chuckled. I scowled at him, not buying his attempt at switching the conversation.

"Thinking what about Sam?" I demanded. Had he had another run-in with him? Was Sam still trying to convince Embry to rejoin his pack? My stomach gave a funny little twist at the thought. Embry's eyes flicked uncertainly at me, the angles of his face hard again, but a subdued amusement sparkled behind his frown.

"Well, I was just thinking about how I talked to Quil a couple of days ago, and... you know he sees Sam pretty often," he began hesitantly, and I nodded even as a sharp pain knifed through me. I concentrated hard not to let him see it, and he turned his gaze back to the road with a tiny smirk.

"Yeah, well, Quil told me that Sam's nose is a little bit more crooked these days. No vampire doc around to straighten it out for him, so..." he trailed off with a casual shrug, but the smirk stayed firmly in place. I stared at him silently, blinking with astonishment. Jacob had broken his nose? He'd actually....

I didn't even know how to react to that. Part of me wanted to smile vindictively, but another part of me cringed with guilt. Poor Sam had gotten punched in the face (at least, I assumed that's how Jake broke it), all because I was a pathetic loser who couldn't get over him. That was horrible. _I was horrible._

Embry glanced over at me and rolled his eyes. "B, cut it out. It's not your fault, and anyway, Sam had it coming."

"What? I'm not thinking anything..." I muttered, shrinking down into my seat as far as I could go.

"Right. It's pretty obvious when you're chewing on your lip like that," he told me matter-of-factly as he parked the car in the Cullen's driveway. "So, are you going to be mature about this, or am I hauling you over my shoulder again?"

I glared at him before I thrust open my door and stood up haughtily, my nose in the air. He chuckled quietly to himself as he followed me up to the front door. Carlisle held it open for us before we reached it.

"Leah! I'm glad you're here. Edward has been very concerned that he didn't fix your hand up correctly," he stated, smiling kindly at me. I held my hand up and wiggled my fingers.

"It's perfectly fine. There's really no reason you need to look at it."

He smiled as he ushered me into their pristine living room. "Better safe than sorry. Edward's studied medicine, but he's never actually practiced it. I'm surprised he set your fingers for you. He never even trusted himself to bandage up Bella's numerous injuries."

Oh, great. That made me feel better. He was too worried about doing something wrong to fix up Bella, but I could be his medical lab rat. Although, he'd always been a bit psychotic when it came to Bella...

I sat down on the couch as Carlisle pulled up a chair next to me and took my outstretched hand. Embry settled himself at my side and relaxed as Alice danced down the stairs, pulling a reluctant Jasper behind her. My silent prayer to turn invisible went unheard, and their eyes fastened on me as they reached the living room.

"Hi, guys! Finally here to get your hand checked over?" Alice asked as she plopped herself on the floor by Embry's feet. Jasper stood farther away, no doubt sensing my wariness as he came nearer. I muttered an incomprehensible answer and kept tabs on my emotions. If I felt so much as a flicker of calm that was out of place, I was gonna bolt.

Alice eyed my brief running shorts and white tanktop with less distaste than normal. "That's a decent look for you. The sporty thing," she clarified when I gave her a blank look.

"Alice," Carlisle murmured warningly without looking up from my hand. The black haired fashionista shrugged innocently.

"I'm just saying, you've got great muscle tone, so sporty outfits will look good on you," she paused and giggled. "At least you didn't grow seven feet tall and beef up like a body builder."

"No kidding," Embry agreed fervently. I shot him a dirty look, even though I heartily agreed with them.

"I've been wondering about that. You haven't reacted to the shifting in the same way the rest of the Pack has- perhaps because you're female," Carlisle theorized quietly. "I suppose since you're the only one, we can't know for sure."

I sighed. It sure wasn't a whole lot of fun being the biggest freak of the freaks. It crossed my mind that maybe Nessie sometimes felt the same way. She was almost one of a kind, and Carlisle was constantly theorizing and hypothesizing over her. Poor kid. But thinking of Nessie...

"Uh, where is everybody?" I asked after a moment of glancing around the empty, quiet house in confusion.

"Oh, out hunting," Alice replied airily. I thought about it for a moment, scrunching up my face in confused thought. Didn't they usually go out hunting in groups of only two or three?

"But where's Seth and Jake? I thought they headed over here this morning," I added questioningly. Embry and Alice shared a quick, conspiratal look, and I narrowed my eyes. "What's going on?"

"You're paranoid, you know that, B? Jake and Seth just took Nessie hunting," Embry told me with a laughing grin. Alice nodded fervently.

"Yeah. She likes to make a game out of it. So, are you coming to watch the game on Sunday?" she asked, casually attempting to change the subject. I pursed my lips as my gaze flickered between the two of them suspiciously.

"If I may caution you, don't bet against Emmett. He's bribed Alice into telling him the outcome of the game," Carlisle added. Right. So he was in on whatever they were hiding, too. Great. I grumbled noncommittingly under my breath, annoyed, and Alice propped her chin on her hands to survey me with interest.

"Charlie and your mom will be here," she told me, and I sighed. That was just playing dirty, bringing my mom up like that, and she knew it. Thank goodness that Carlisle broke in then with a few questions about my hand so I could avoid giving any sort of reply to her.

"Well, it seems that Edward did a fine job fixing you up. I can't find anything wrong with your hand," Carlisle finally informed me, and I gratefully took my fingers out of his cold, marble grasp.

"Thank goodness. Now maybe we can stop listening to him worrying about it," smirked Alice with a roll of her eyes.

Esme's voice floated down from somewhere upstairs, startling me. "That's not very nice, Alice dear."

"Sorry, Esme!" Alice called out as she exchanged a quick, amused glance with Jasper. Embry stood up with me as Esme appeared at the top of the stairs and gracefully descended to greet us. I edged nervously toward the door as I mumbled a hello in reply, not caring if Embry was following me or not. Now that I'd gotten the okay, there was no reason for me not to shift anymore.

"Oh, do you need to go so soon?" Esme asked gently, sincere disappointment in her voice. "I just tried a new recipe for a chocolate s'mores cheesecake, and I was hoping the two of you could taste-test it for me."

"Hey, I'll be your kitchen guinea pig anytime, Esme," Embry agreed enthusiastically, but I bit my lip uncertainly. My instincts were screaming at me to get away from that house before something awful happened again, but my stomach was pulling me towards the deliciously tempting dessert. Cheesecake, chocolate, and s'mores were three of my all-time favorite things.

"Won't you try some, too, Leah?" Esme smiled and asked innocently, but I could've sworn she'd made that cake _on purpose_ just to tempt me into her kitchen.

"Uh, well, I... chocolate s'mores?" I mumbled, my mouth watering traitorously.

"C'mon, B. We'll head back to La Push right after we have a piece," Embry promised, and I caved pathetically. Who knew that getting my appetite back would someday be my undoing?

Esme fairly glowed with elation as she led us to the kitchen, Alice dancing along beside us. The pixie laughed at the nervous glance I shot over my shoulder at Jasper trailing disinterestedly behind us.

"No worries, Leah. Esme made him promise never to mess with your emotions again," she whispered, but of course Jasper overheard her.

"I really didn't mean to... ah, have that effect on you last time you were here," he muttered apologetically. "Sorry about that."

I could feel myself turning slightly red as I winced with embarrassment. "Yeah... well, it wasn't your fault, so..."

Luckily for me, Esme handed me a huge slice of her amazing-looking cheesecake, and I had a good reason to drop the awkward conversation. She watched our reactions anxiously as Embry and I took our first bites.

Oooh, yeah. This was totally worth any potential disasters from sticking around the Cullen house. The scrumptious deliciousness melted on my tongue, and I closed my eyes in pure enjoyment.

Ten minutes later, I still had almost half of my slice to go, and Embry quirked his eyebrows mockingly at me.

"Jeez, Leah. It's cheesecake, not ecstacy on a fork."

I glared at him in between my itsy-bitsy bites. "Shh. Don't ruin this. It's called _tasting_ your food. Maybe you should try it."

"I do taste it. I just don't spend five minutes over every bite," he laughed.

"No, you'd rather just swallow whatever it is whole. I don't know why Esme wasted a piece of this on you."

"Oh, now. That's not very nice-" Embry began with a huge grin, but he was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming. I didn't miss the confused, surprised looks everyone in the room _except for me_ were giving each other.

Nessie skipped into the room, but instead of Jacob, her faithful puppy, following at her heels, Rosalie and Bella drifted along behind her. Rosalie paused momentarily as she moved forward, her eyes scanning the room quickly before her usual mask of long-suffering civility dropped down to cover her confusion. Bella, though, was a different story. That girl had never been good at hiding anything, and right now she looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She stopped dead in the doorway at the sight of Embry and I sitting at the counter, her mouth forming a shocked 'O'.

"Okay, seriously. _What_ is going on?" I demanded as Bella's reaction confirmed my suspicions. Alice directed a death glare at her sisters, and Rosalie gave a tiny, nonchalant shrug. Embry rolled his eyes and speared a huge chunk out of my remaining cheesecake with his fork.

"What does it look like? Bella, Nessie, and Rose are back from hunting."

Scowling, I moved my plate as far away from his reach as I could. "I'm not dumb. Something's going on, and all of you are in on it. And if you try that again, I'll stab you with my fork," I warned as he leaned forward to steal another bite.

"Why on earth do you think something's going on, Leah?" Esme trilled laughingly, but there was a nervous edge to her voice that didn't escape my notice. I didn't miss the tiny, indulgent eye-roll Rosalie gave her mother-figure over her poor acting skills, either.

"Okay, then. Where are Seth and Jake? I thought they went hunting with Nessie today," I asked, giving Bella a hard glare. She was the most likely to crack, after all.

"Probably getting dressed after shifting back. Right?" Embry prompted Bella, and she finally managed to give a flustered nod.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Of course," she mumbled, and I scowled, completely unconvinced. Unfortunately, my distraction was Embry's gain. He reached across me and speared the last bite of my cake, shoving it in his huge mouth before I had a chance to react.

"_Tank!_ You just ate my last bite! You... you... _dessert thief!_" I squeaked furiously, brandishing my fork at him like a deadly weapon. He just smirked at me and licked his lips.

"You snooze, you lose, babe. 'Sides, it would've taken you another hour to finish it, and we've gotta get going."

I narrowed my eyes skeptically at him. "Oh, so now suddenly we've got to get back to La Push?"

"Yep," he drawled, grinning as he got to his feet. I crossed my arms stubbornly across my chest.

"Shouldn't we wait and say hi to Jake and Seth?"

"Since when do you want to hang around for small talk?" Embry queried as he hauled me to my feet with one meaty hand. I let him lead me out of the house, since it was either that or be dragged.

"See you on Sunday!" Alice called from the front door as we climbed into the car. I snorted to myself and crossed my arms tightly over my chest as Embry waved and tore out of their narrow driveway.

"So, I take it that means you're not going to show up for the game?" he asked casually.

"You don't seriously think I should, do you?" I demanded incredulously. "What good could possibly come from tempting Fate like that?"

Embry scrunched up his face in thought. "Well, I dunno. It might make things a little easier for your mom, for one thing."

"How so?"

"Maybe I'm wrong, but her and Charlie seem to be getting really close. But, you know, Bella's his daughter, and it seems like you hate her. I mean, you hate all the vamps, so..." he shrugged.

"I don't hate the Cullen's," I muttered in a low voice that was barely audible over the engine. Unfortunately for me, Embry's unnaturally good hearing caught every word, and I slumped down in my seat and scowled at the surprised look on his face.

"Anyway, what does that have to do with Mom and Charlie's relationship?" I demanded in a louder voice, hoping against hope that he wouldn't bring up my last comment.

Embry blinked at me for a short moment before re-collecting his thoughts. "Oh. Well, it just seems like they'd like to take it to the next level. But your mom's worried about how you'll deal with it. That's all."

"Embry, jeez! I don't care how old and mature I get. I never want to think about my mom taking things 'to the next level' and doing the Horizontal Polka with Charlie," I gagged. I had to shake my head a few times to stop the disturbing mental pictures before they could scar me for life.

"Holy crap! I wasn't talking about _that_ kind of level!" Embry squeaked out. I could've sworn the tips of his ears were turning red. "I was talking about them getting _married."_

"Ooooh!" Realization dawned on me, and I burst out laughing. Embry laughed with me, poking fun at my apparently dirty, dirty mind.

"Seriously, though," I gasped when we'd finally calmed down. "You think they wouldn't get married because of me?"

"I think that Charlie's not gonna take the next step unless he gets some kind of clear go-ahead from your mom. And I don't think she's going to do that when she thinks you despise his daughter and all of her family. I mean, legally, once they're married, Bella's your step-sister."

"Technically, she's dead, so she can't legally be anything," I muttered, and then grimaced at the withering look he shot me. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'm making Mom and Charlie miserable. I'm good at doing that, I guess."

"You really think highly of yourself, don't you, B-Wolf?" Embry snorted with an exasperated eye-roll.

"Or maybe I'm just honest with myself," I returned bitterly. "At least I can own up to my multiple faults."

"Oh, please. If you were so honest with yourself, then you'd see all the good stuff, too. I didn't bring up your mom and Charlie so you could throw yourself a pity-party. 'Sides, if you're okay with the two of them getting together, then just tell your mom that and let them work it out for themselves."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop myself from giving him a tiny grin. "Thank you, Dr. Phil. Are you charging me for your words of wisdom?"

"Naw, only if I'm right and they end up getting hitched," he replied, and then shook his head and chuckled. "Jeez, I can't believe you thought I was talking about them getting laid. Although, I guess if they get married-"

"Stop. Just stop. Your talking priviledges have been officially revoked, Tank," I broke in, putting up my hands and shaking my head violently again. He laughed at the pained look on my face, but didn't say another word. The grin on my face abruptly died when I noticed he'd driven right past the turn for my house.

"Uh, Tank, you just my road," I told him. He grinned and pressed his lips together silently, and all my earlier suspicions came flooding back. I narrowed my eyes and glared at him.

"Alright, enough with the secrets. Where are you taking me?"

In answer, he swerved off the road into the Black's driveway. I gaped in astonishment as we pulled up next to a very familiar, enormous Jeep. Only one family in the entire Forks and La Push area could afford something like that, and none of them were supposed to be within 10 miles of this place.

"Okay, what the hell is Emmett's Jeep doing here, Embry?" I demanded much more sharply than I intended. My eyes frantically scanned the Black's yard looking for any signs of the bear-like vamp, or any of the rest of the Cullen's. Embry yanked open his door, and I could smell the vampire stench heavy in the cool, April air. Sam was going to tear a fit! The entire La Push pack was going to pour down on us in a rain of fury! I sat rigid in my seat as Embry got out and came around to open my door.

"Relax, Leah. Jake's the head Alpha, remember? Everything's cool, I promise. Just trust me, okay?" Embry pleaded. I looked up into his warm, dark eyes and realized with shock that I _did _trust him. Completely. But that didn't mean I wasn't still a little leery of this whole situation.

Slowly, I reached out and took his outstretched hand, letting him lead me into the shed where he, Jake, and Quil worked on all their cars. I blinked rapidly in the dim light and could just make out the shape of a car shrouded in a thin, white sheet.

"Surprise!"

My skin just about jumped off of my body at the unexpected shout coming from the shadows of the garage. Someone suddenly flicked on the light switch, and I stared wide-eyed at an unbelievable group of smiling faces. Jacob stood with his hand on the light switch with a beaming Seth beside him. Billy leaned back comfortably in his wheelchair, one of my mom's hands on his shoulder while the other one was tucked securely into one of Charlie's. Edward and Emmett stood shoulder to shoulder right next to Charlie, both grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't manage to do anything more than gape at all of them with my jaw hanging half-way to the floor.

"Ta-da!" Seth exclaimed, whipping the sheet off of the car like a magician pulling a tablecloth out from under a full set of crystal. I stared in confused disbelief at the slightly rusty, black 1970's era Dodge in front of me, and Embry gave me a light punch on the arm with a laugh.

"Hey, B, you gonna say something or just stand there with your mouth open?"

"I- wha- tha- I..." I stuttered, then pulled myself together. "Is it _mine_?"

Everyone laughed, and my mom moved around the car to put her arm around my shoulders. "Of course it's yours! Do you like it?"

"_Wow_," I breathed in answer, my hand stroking the black paint of my very first car. "Thanks, Mom! I mean- man, just saying 'thanks' feels way to lame for something like this!"

"Don't thank me. Charlie's the one who found it," my mom replied laughingly, looking over at Charlie with a glowing face. I guess there really was something to what Embry and I were talking about in the car.

"Oh. Well, thanks Charlie. Really," I told him earnestly, grinning from ear to ear. His face creased into as big of a smile as I'd ever seen him give.

"The real heroes here are Edward and Emmett. Without them, this hunk of metal would still be sitting in the lot," he told me, and suddenly the presence of the two vamps and their giant Jeep made a lot more sense.

"Ah. So... she's not really operational at the moment, huh?"

"Well, no. Not so much," Charlie admitted a little bit sheepishly.

"That's where we come in," Embry told me with a grin, waving to indicate himself, Jake, and Seth. "You supply the parts, and we'll supply the labor."

"Seriously?" I gasped, and their huge, happy grins were all the answers I needed. "Thank you, guys! I mean, it's kind of totally unfair, but if you're okay with it..."

Jacob shrugged his massive shoulders. "We haven't had anything interesting to work on for a long time. It'll be fun, right Embry?"

"Hell, yeah, brother," Embry answered enthusiastically, reaching out to smack Jake's outstretched fist with his own. I shook my head at them, smiling from ear to ear, before I patted my precious baby again. I was so happy, I could've hugged it. Suddenly, I laughed out loud.

"So _this _was what the big secret was about! I thought Bella was going to pass out when she walked in and saw us sitting there!"

Edward quirked his eyebrow with a grin. "Bella showed up before you left?" he asked Embry laughingly. Embry nodded, and Emmett shook his head in exasperation.

"Oh, man. We're just lucky she didn't spoil everything! That's why Rosie took her and Nessie out hunting this morning!" he groaned.

"Speaking of them, we'd better get going," Edward said, glancing at Jake seriously. Emmett nodded and winked at me as the two of them headed out of the garage. I screwed up my face and balled my hands into fists as I battled with myself for a moment.

"Thanks for getting my car here, guys!" I finally called out to them, surprising everyone.

"Anytime, babe," Emmett laughed. Edward opted for the more proper "our pleasure" murmured as they climbed easily into the huge Jeep. Charlie and Mom followed Billy back into the house, and Embry turned to me, smiling.

"So, ready to go parts shopping?" he asked, and I grinned back.

"Absolutely. Let's get my baby up and running!"


	7. Standing Straight

**Standing Straight**

**AN: **_Okay, I know this is a really fast update for me, but this chapter is very short. I'm happier with this chapter than I was with the last one, but I'll let all of you be the judge of that. Please do leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing. I really appreciate it!  
Thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter (and thanks to the anonymous reviewers that I couldn't reply personally to as well). Thanks for inspiring me!!!  
I really don't think a disclaimer is necessary..._

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Saturday afternoon was unseasonably warm, even with the persistent cloud cover. I lounged in Jake's garage in shorts and a worn, tight t-shirt, sipping on a warm soda as I watched Embry work on my beautiful, black car. Sure, most people wouldn't think she was much to look at, and yeah, she wasn't exactly running at the moment, but I absolutely loved her.

As usual, Jake and Seth had taken off for the Cullen's earlier that morning. The whole "the three of us will work on your car together" thing had turned into "Embry will work on your car and because we have to go check on Nessie". Not that I was surprised, but I did feel kind of guilty that Embry was using all his free time on my baby.

"You're sure you don't mind doing this? Because I could probably threaten Seth with something and make him fix Molly up for me," I told him as I propped myself on my elbows and leaned over the engine next to him. Embry flashed me a grin as his big, grease-stained hands fiddled with some unidentified part.

"Naw, it's all good. What else have I got to do?" he replied. "Anyway, you're good company, even if you don't know a lug nut from an oil filter."

I laughed. "Lug nut? There's actually something called a _lug nut_? I thought that was just an insult!"

"Jeez, B. Do you know anything about cars? How're you gonna keep it running after I get it fixed?" Embry laughed, shaking his head in exasperation. I leaned over a little farther and batted my eyelashes at him.

"Well, that's what I've got you for, right? You'll keep my Molly running smooth for me."

Embry tried to pull a face at me, but he didn't disagree. "I can't believe you named your car 'Molly'," he groaned.

"Well, she looks like one. Don't you, Molly-baby?" I grinned and patted her side, and Embry rolled his eyes good naturedly. His teasing reply was cut off by the sudden sound of heavy footsteps heading toward the garage.

"I didn't think Jake and Seth were coming back until tonight," I muttered as I leaned over to stick my head around the side of the car to see the doorway. Suddenly, I gripped the cold metal of the car as my heart skidded, jumped, and then pounded furiously in my ears. Embry flashed me a surprised look before he straightened to look over the raised hood at our visitors. I could see the veins straining under his skin as he balled his hands into white-knuckled fists.

Sam stood silhouetted in the garage door, flanked by Jared and Paul. Their noses were wrinkled up in disgust, and I sniffed the air tentatively. The faint stench of the vamps was still noticeable, though Embry and I could hardly smell it anymore. I guess we were just so much more used to it than the three of them that it didn't bother us.

We stared at each other silently for several long moments before I forced myself to straighten and move out from behind the car. Sam's eyes flickered between Embry and I warily as I moved. I studied his face with narrowed eyes, and I had to tamp down a short swell of guilt when I noticed his crooked nose. I kept my arms rigid at my sides to keep from shaking and forced myself to breathe calmly, slowly. Four seconds in, four seconds out. I would not fall to pieces over that man again.

"Is there something you want?" I asked acidly through my clenched teeth. Jared and Paul threw furtive glances at Sam as Embry moved to stand next to me.

"I came to speak with Jacob," Sam answered in his deep, authoritative voice. My breathing hitched momentarily before I could stop myself. Damn it! His voice shouldn't affect me like that anymore. I was stronger than that. And I would die a thousand deaths before I would ever back down from him again.

"Well, obviously Jake's not here right now. If it's really important, you could always go to the Cullen's and find him," I told him with a tight-lipped, icy smirk. His jaw tightened visibly, and my smirk grew just a little bit bigger. I knew he'd never set foot on Cullen property, and he knew I was calling him out on it.

"Or, you could just tell us what's so important that you brought two of your Pack along just to 'talk'," I continued, giving the three of them a hard glare.

"I'd rather discuss it with Jacob," Sam replied harshly. Beside me, Embry crossed his arms across his chest, and I pulled myself up to my highest height. Admittedly, compared to the goliaths surrounding me, it wasn't very impressive.

"I'm Jake's Beta. If you've got a problem with him, then you've got a problem with me," I stated in a deadly, calm voice. Embry nodded his agreement with narrowed eyes. I did my best to look casually unconcerned and annoyed, but my insides were quivering like half-done jello. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run away and hide, I wanted to break Sam's nose again. Why did it still hurt so bad just to see his face?

Sam was silent for several long minutes as he scanned our faces. Jared and Paul stood tensed and ready at his sides, scanning the shed furtively as if they expected the vamps to jump out from their hiding places at any minute.

"If that's the way you want it," Sam finally said, looking every inch the Alpha he knew he was. "I'm here to warn you that I will not tolerate breaking the treaty. I don't care that Jacob's imprinted on a half-vampire. My Pack will not allow vampires to trespass onto Quilete land unless it's for a life or death need."

"Really? And what are you going to do to stop it, if Jacob gives the okay? You know his orders stand for more than yours do," Embry snarled harshly beside me, and I was surprised at the vehemence in his voice.

"My job- no, _our_ job- is to protect the people of La Push. I won't allow Jacob to put anyone in jeopardy because he's forgotten his duties," Sam growled back.

"The Cullen's are not a danger. They won't hurt anyone in La Push," I ground out through my tightly clenched teeth. Could anyone else hear my frantically pounding heart? Or notice how I was nearly hyperventilating?

"I'm not willing to take that chance," Sam stated heavily, authoritatively, and I wanted to _hurt_ him. I wanted to kick his butt to next Tuesday. How blind, how stubborn could he be? And how transparent? He didn't want the vamps to have access, no matter how occasional, to La Push because his Emily was here. And any risk, no matter how small, was not to be tolerated. Pain tore through me, and I struggled to keep my face from betraying me.

"Well, that's just too bad, isn't it? If Jake gives them the okay, they can cross the border. You're just going to have to deal with that," I snapped acidly. The pain ripped through me so wildly, I felt like I was going to fall apart if I didn't wrap my arms around myself. Stiffly, I kept my hands straight down at my sides and forced myself to deal with the pain. So what if Sam was willing to start a Pack war to protect his precious Emily? So what if there was no one in the world who would do that for me?

"Leah, the treaty was made for a reason. Jacob can't ignore the fact that the leeches are dangerous, no matter how much he would like to. They've _killed _people. And no matter how hard they try, someday one of them will kill a human again. It's their nature."

"_Stop _calling them leeches. They're people. With names. And you aren't exactly safe to be around, either. Or don't you count _that _slip up?" I spat out. Sam winced, his whole face spasming, and I almost broke right then and begged his forgiveness. It was unbelievably cruel of me to bring up how he'd hurt Emily; I cursed myself for being so black-hearted and selfish. But I'd wanted to hurt him like he had hurt me, and the words had come tumbling out.

Sam composed himself enough to look me in the eyes again. "This isn't about me. This is about keeping people safe."

"Right. Like when you wanted to keep people safe by murdering all the Cullen's and Bella because we didn't know what her baby would end up being," Embry snorted angrily, glaring daggers at Sam.

"That was a mistake, an overreaction," Sam argued back. "This is different. This is about the bloodsuckers breaking the treaty-"

"The _Cullen's_ didn't break the treaty, and you know it. They agreed to help move Leah's car when Jake asked them. They weren't even over the border for more than thirty minutes," Embry snarled.

"_Thi_s _time_. Next time, it'll be an hour. Soon, they'll be crossing the border whenever they'd like, and the treaty will mean nothing. I refuse to allow that to happen."

"Like I said, you don't really have a choice. You know that Jake could end the treaty altogether if he wanted, and you couldn't do a thing about it," I said, finding my voice again. Sam's insistence, his bull-headed stubborness re-fanned my fury. If he was so damn worried about his darling Emily, why didn't he just lock her into a giant steel box and throw away the key so nothing could ever come near her?

"Why can't the two of you understand? You're going against your very natures siding with those bloody leeches. You'll turn on your own people, leave your own Pack to defend the creatures we're supposed to destroy! And all because Jacob Black imprinted on one of them," Sam exclaimed angrily. He ran a hand over his short cropped hair, obviously frustrated. I could feel Embry tensing next to me as my own blood boiled.

"Jacob Black is more worthy of my allegiance than you could ever be," Embry snarled in unbridled fury. His big hands clenched tightly as tremors shook his enormous frame. I put my hand on his arm warningly, silently ordering him to calm down. Without Jake to back us up, things could get ugly fast if he shifted and attacked Sam. Besides, their three to our two didn't give us the best odds of coming out on top.

"Jacob Black has let himself become nothing more than a lapdog to the bloodsuckers. I'll be damned if I'll sit back and watch him drag both of you down to that level," Sam growled harshly. Instinctively, my blood rang loud and furiously in my ears and my muscles quivered and tensed. I could feel the rage pouring off of Embry, barely kept in check by my subtle Beta order not to shift. But without fighting, we had no way to respond to Sam's insult.

Ah, to hell with it. Without warning, my fist connected squarely with Sam's nose. He staggered backwards from the strength of my punch, tripped over a spare part laying on the floor, and landed sprawling in the dirt. Blood spurted heavily down his face and dripped through his fingers as he tried to stem it's flow. Paul and Jared tensed, ready to spring on me, and Embry moved swiftly to get between them and me. I was grateful for that; I might have been able to catch Sam off-guard with my surprise sucker-punch, but I knew I wasn't really a match for them in either form.

Crap. What the heck did I just get us into?

"Stop! Back off, boys," Sam called out from the floor, his voice muffled by his hands and the blood. Growling deep in their chests, Paul and Jared stepped back a few paces, never taking their eyes off of us. Embry stayed tense and ready, glaring at them as if he dared them to try anything. Sam hauled himself to his feet, and I watched as his deep red blood ran down his arms and dripped on the floor.

"Don't you _ever_ insult Jacob Black in my presence again, Sam Uley," I stated in a voice of acid ice. "And the same goes for every one of the Cullen's, too."

Sam stared at me as if he was seeing a completely new person, and I suppose I couldn't blame him. Even before everything started, when things were normal and we were just two teenagers in love, I'd never been able to stand up to him. He won every single argument without having to work at it.

The squeaking wheels of Billy's wheelchair caught all of our attention as he maneuvered himself out of his house. There was no way he could push himself across the yard to see what was happening in the garage; we could hear him bring his chair to a halt right outside the front door.

"Leah? Embry? Everything alright?" he called, and I had to wonder if he'd inherited the unnaturally enhanced hearing of the wolves.

"Everything's fine, Billy. Sam was just leaving," I called out, glaring at Sam pointedly. He backed away slowly, Paul and Jared following him without turning their backs to Embry and I.

"You know I can't just let this end here," Sam said quietly. "Tell Jacob that I expect to talk to him soon."

"Oh, I'll make sure he knows _all _about it," I returned, sweetly sarcastic. All those years of being bitter harpy Leah sometimes payed off.

"Maybe you should get someone to punch you the other way to straighten your nose out a bit," Embry called mockingly after him as the three La Push wolves ducked out of the garage. Paul turned around slightly to give us the finger, and we both snorted in amusement.

After a few minutes, I poked my head out of the garage to wave at Billy. "Everything's fine, Billy. We just had a little disagreement with Sam, but it's no big deal," I reassured him.

"That was one heck of a disagreement. Sam looked like someone really laid him out," Billy replied, one eyebrow quirked questioningly.

"Just a wolf thing," Embry told him with an easy grin. "Quick tempers and all."

Billy shrugged and started to maneuver himself back inside his little house. He'd seen enough squabbles between Pack mates to buy that excuse. Embry and I ducked back into the sem-privacy of the garage.

"Leah, holy crap! I can't believe you punched Sam like that. Seriously, _you punched Sam!_" Embry exclaimed. "Just _wham_, and he's flat on his back! Oh, man, Emily's going to freak when she finds out that he got his nose broken again!"

Suddenly, I was crushed in a tight bear hug with my feet dangling at least a foot off the ground as he spun me around. Yeah, part of me felt like celebrating, too, because, you know, I'd just punched Sam. But then again, _I'd just punched Sam._

Embry released me, and without the support of his strong arms, I sank right to the floor. The quivering jello that had replaced my insides now made it's way into my bones, and I was reduced to a little puddle on the floor.

"Whoa, Leah. You okay? What's the matter?" asked Embry, crouching down to get a better look at my face.

"Embry, I just punched Sam. _Sam_, Embry. I broke his nose," I whispered, my eyes huge in my white face.

"Yeah, and it's about time, too," he replied earnestly. His big, grease-stained hands closed over my shoulders and he gave me a tiny shake. "C'mon, babe. Don't lose it on me, here. He's not worth it, you know. You're better than him."

"No, I'm not," I muttered miserably. My face smashed abruptly into his hard chest as he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Yes, you are, Leah. How many times do I have to tell you that? You, Leah Clearwater, deserve so much more than you realize. And I, for one, am thrilled that you finally stood up to Sam."

Tears pricked my eyes, and I swallowed convulsively to stop myself from losing it. It was weird, but even though my face was smashed into his shirt and I could hardly breathe, I was comfortable there with his arms around me. It eased the aching in my chest more than I could have dreamed.

"Embry, you are the nicest person I have ever met," I finally managed to say, my hoarse voice muffled by his chest.

"Hardly. You just punched Sam. I was ready to rip his head right off of his shoulders," he laughed, but there was a dark edge to the sound.

"Yeah, well, punching him was bad enough. Jake's not going to be too happy about it when he finds out," I moaned.

"You really decked him," Embry chuckled, his delight in that fact evident in his voice. "So, how come you broke his nose, but you barely bruised Jake?"

I shrugged a little under his heavy arms and turned my head a tiny bit to the side so I could breathe better. "I don't know. I was a whole lot more pissed off at Sam than I was at Jake, though. And I hit him in the nose instead of the jaw. I learned that lesson the hard way."

I winced at the memory, and then realized that my hand was throbbing again. Groaning, I pulled away from Embry to examine it.

"Did you bust it up again?" asked Embry in concern. I wiggled my fingers experimentally and then shook my head.

"Nothing feels broken. Just bruised," I smiled proudly at him. "I remembered to tuck my thumb in this time."

Embry laughed heartily and pulled both of us to our feet. "Still, maybe we should head over to the Cullen's and have Carlisle check it out to be sure. We should probably give Jake the heads up, too."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow? Everyone's heading over there in the morning for the big game day, anyway," I said, my voice quivering just the tiniest bit. I was hanging on by a thread here. The only thing keeping me together so far was Embry's words and my own strength of will. If we had to hash over everything word for word with Jake around the vamps, I'd have another uncontrollable breakdown. And I just couldn't allow that to happen.

Embry must've seen the pleading in my eyes, because he clenched his jaw and nodded once. "Alright, tomorrow then. But only if you promise to show up."

"I'll be there. I promise," I told him quietly. I gave him a tiny smile of pure gratitude, and he reached out a hand and stroked my cheek.

"You okay, B?" he asked gently. The pain spasmed across my chest again, but it was gentler this time, mostly due to the soft warmth in his deep, brown eyes. I wanted to crumple. I wanted to wrap my arms tightly around his waist and cry. He would understand.

Oh, I had to go. I had to get home where I could wallow in my misery without worrying about someone seeing it.

"I'm fine," I lied, and the slight frown on his face showed me that he saw right through it. "Really. I just want to get home. Get some ice on my hand, you know."

It was the truth. Even though I was fairly certain there weren't any broken bones, it still throbbed painfully, and an ugly, dark bruise was spreading across the surface of my knuckles. I knew it would fade in a matter of hours, but for now, ice sounded like a good plan.

Embry frowned deeper and rocked back on his heels. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, that's okay. I just... kind of want to be alone," I answered him after a few long moments. He looked a little unhappy, and I mustered a smile for him. "Thanks for the offer, though. If I wanted to be around anyone, you'd be it, Tank."

He smiled a little bit back at me as I headed out the door. "Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me. See you tomorrow, B."

"Yeah," I replied, and I stopped and turned around in the doorway to look back at him. "Thanks. I mean it. Thanks for everything, Embry."

I saw the grin on his face before I turned and sped away down the Black's driveway toward my house.


	8. Fixing the Pieces

**Fixing the Pieces  
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**AN: **_'Sup, my peeps? Okay, yep that was my attempt at 'cool talk'. Ouch. I promise I will never do that again. Here is another chapter for you to enjoy! Just a heads up- this chapter is about 2000 words longer than my longest chapter so... I hope it's not too boring. I should've broken it into two chapters, but, well, I didn't. Sorry!  
__**Thank you **__to everyone who reviewed last chapter!! I appreciate it SO much! And... enough babbling! Here we go-_

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I had to grudgingly admit that being a shape-shifting freak had a few minor benefits when I examined my reflection the next morning. A normal human girl's face would've been totally ravanged by the flood of tears I'd cried the night before, but I looked as fresh as if I'd had a deep, untroubled night's worth of sleep. Now, as long as I was very careful with my thoughts around Edward the Brain Probe and my Pack if I phased, no one should suspect a thing. Well, Embry might, but I was starting to wonder if he had some kind of weird third-sense when it came to me and my emotions. My own personal mini-Jasper.

Yippee. Because it was really fun to have someone always know when you're being pathetic. At least he never treated me like I was pathetic. In fact, he usually treated me completely the opposite.

Just remembering how thrilled he'd been that I'd broken Sam's nose made me giggle to myself as I fixed an enormous breakfast for my family of three. Another little giggle slipped past my lips when I realized that I'd made two dozen eggs and a whole package of bacon, and I was actually concerned that it wouldn't be enough. My appetite was thriving, and not even Emmett could tease me about looking like a scarecrow anymore. I may have been lean and toned, but my curves weren't anything to laugh at. Heck, I might even fill out my bikini again!

"Somebody's in a good mood today," Seth commented when he caught me grinning like a fool at nothing in particular.

"Maybe I was just hoping you'd sleep in so I could eat your eggs," I declared haughtily as I filled my plate to overflowing and plopped down at the table. Truthfully, I _was_ in a good mood. A great mood, actually. Somehow, that crying jag over Sam last night had eased the painful squeezing on my heart just a tiny bit. I didn't know why or how, but I felt _better_.

"Morning, kids," Mom yawned as she joined us at the table and filled her plate with the remaining food. "So, what are your plans for the day, Leah?"

I swallowed my last bite and scrunched up my face. Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten that she and Seth would just assume I wasn't going along to the Cullen's today. I really wished I didn't have to go, what with having to get my hand checked over- again- by Carlisle, not to mention explaining to Jacob exactly _why_ I needed to get it checked out. But I'd promised Embry I'd be there, and I had no doubts he'd show up and haul me there over his shoulder if he had to.

"Actually, I was thinking I'd go with you to watch the game," I finally answered awkwardly. The blank, shocked looks on Mom and Seth's faces didn't help matters, and I squirmed in my seat, scowling. "What? I'm not allowed to watch baseball?"

Mom recovered first, looking flustered. "No, no. Of course you are. I just thought..."

"Awesome, Leah," Seth exclaimed as his adorable grin spread from ear to ear. "Wanna race me there?"

"Wouldn't be much of a race. I'd be there, phased, and bored before you were even half-way," I snorted disdainfully. "I'll spare you the humilation and ride with Mom."

"Gee, thanks," he replied, rolling his eyes. He rinsed off his plate, kissed Mom's cheek, and darted out the door. Mom and I smiled after him indulgently before I caught myself and swiftly started clearing the table.

Silently, we climbed into the car and headed towards the Vamp House. I used the time to scrutinized Mom as she drove. She was wearing make-up, which was a little bit surprising. For as long as I could remember, she'd only bothered with it when she was going somewhere special, or when she wanted to look especially pretty for Dad. My heart gave a funny little twist at the thought. Apparently, Embry was right, and things were pretty serious between her and Charlie. What if he was right about me driving a wedge between the two of them, too?

"So... Mom. You and Charlie, huh?" I asked casually. Yeah, that was my brilliant attempt at nonchalantly broaching the subject. I could feel my face turning five shades of red, so I studied the trees flashing by my windows.

Mom glanced at me, clearly confused. "What about me and Charlie?"

"Well... you know," I shifted uncomfortably. This was definitely not on the list of conversations I ever wanted to have with my mother. "It seems like you two are, um, getting... pretty serious."

"Why do you think that?" she asked me nervously. I guess she was as uncomfortable about this as I was.

I scrunched up my face and waved a hand at her. "You're wearing make-up. To go watch a baseball game."

"Oh," she muttered, and now it was her turn to blush sheepishly.

"No, no. I think it's great, Mom. Really, You know I've always liked Charlie," I rushed to reassure her. Darn it, I was really botching this!

"Yes, I know that. Only..." she left her sentence hanging, but I knew what she meant. His daughter is a vampire. _My mortal enemy_.

"That doesn't change anything," I stated firmly. She turned her surprised face towards me, and I shrugged. "Really. The Cullen's are alright. As far as bloodsuckers go, anyway. So if Charlie makes you happy, then I say go for it."

We pulled up to the big, white house, and I thanked my lucky stars for the excellent timing. Mom and I climbed swiftly out of the car, relief at getting out of that awkward conversation evident on both our faces.

"Sue!" Nessie shrieked, streaking toward us from the porch in a blur of motion, Jacob close at her heels. She latched herself onto my mom and gave me an ear-to-ear grin.

"I'm glad you liked your car. Uncle Emmett said he was worried you were going to pass out when you saw it."

I swallowed hard and forced myself to give her a smile. Better start making more of an effort with the Wonder Kid since Mom loved her so much. "Yeah, it's great. It was really nice of your dad and Emmett to bring it to La Push."

"Is Charlie here yet?" Mom asked her as they headed toward the front door. Jake gave me a grin before he turned to follow them, and I got a sick feeling in my stomach again. Man, he was going to be so ticked off when he found out about-

_Spiderman, Spiderman! Does whatever a spider can!_

Crap, I'd almost forgotten I needed to watch my thoughts if I didn't want Edward finding out about 'The Nose Incident' before I had a chance to break it to Jacob gently. Man, I felt like a kid getting into a fight on the playground and having to tell her parents about it.

"Hey, Leah. Glad I didn't have to kidnap you to get you here this time."

I jumped and whirled around to come face to face with a grinning Embry. Well, face to chest, anyway, since my head barely came up to the bottom of his chin. Dang. I must've been so lost in trying to block my thoughts that I didn't hear him sneaking up on me. He just smirked when I smacked him on the arm, but before I could tell him off for making me jump, Quil stepped out from behind him.

"Hey, Leah. Long time, no see," he greeted casually, giving me a half-hearted wave.

I blinked at him in surprise. "Quil? Shouldn't you be playing peek-a-boo with Claire or something?"

"Yeah, well. Her mom thought she needed to be around kids her own age, so she took her to some play group thing," he grunted unhappily. He looked so gloomy about it that I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Aw, cheer up, man. Spending a few hours in adult company will be good for you," I told him. He scowled at me, and I smiled reassuringly. "I'll bet Jacob will share Nessie if you ask really nicely."

"Yeah, dude. Just think of it as good training for when Claire gets older," Embry agreed, though he looked a little more annoyed than amused. I guess I could understand that. It must suck to have one of your best friends desperately wishing they could be hanging out with a two year old instead of you. Quil rolled his eyes and headed toward the house, but I grabbed Embry's arm and stopped him.

"Hey, do me a favor and don't think about yesterday until we get a chance to talk to Jacob, okay?"

"What? Why?" he asked, confused.

"Well, because I really don't want Jacob finding out because Edward heard it first. I mean, it's going to be bad enough the way it is," I muttered, and Embry grinned at me.

"You know, I don't think Jake's gonna be too upset about it. I mean, he broke-"

"Shut up! Don't think about it!" I demanded in a whispered shriek, even though I knew it was already a lost cause. There probably wasn't a vamp in the place that couldn't hear our conversation, although the blaring TV might've drowned us out. But that hardly mattered, since Edward most likely had heard enough in Embry's head by now.

"Too late," Embry said sheepishly, confirming my fears. I sighed heavily and started heading up to the house. He caught up with me and poked me in the arm. "How exactly were you going to keep him from hearing it, anyway?"

"_Spins a web, any size. Catches theives, just like flies!_" I sang under my breath, and Embry stared at me in amazement.

"No way! You know the Spiderman theme song? You are officially the coolest girl I've ever met," he told me fervently, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Geez, who knew you were so easy to impress?"

"Hey, Spiderman is the awesomest superhero ever, B. The spidey sense and the web-flinging, that's some crazy stuff," he insisted as we passed the front door. I just shook my head and gave him a pointed look.

"Yeah, well, if Jacob goes off the deep end when he finds out, I'm totally blaming you."

"He's not going to hear about it from me, but I agree with Embry. You should really have Carlisle take a look at your hand, especially since it's still bothering you," Edward's velvety voice said quietly from behind me.

I spun quickly to face him, grimacing. "So you heard all about it already, huh?"

"Not enough to know all the details, but enough to get the general idea," he paused and grinned unexpectedly at me. "And even though I'm thrilled you finally stood up to Sam, I'd recommend finding a less self-damaging way to do it. Or invest in a pair of boxing gloves."

"Thanks. I'll look into that," I muttered sarcastically. Embry grinned broadly next to me, and Edward snickered.

"Yes. I suspect it was definitely something to see," he agreed with Embry's unspoken thought, and I glowered darkly at both of them. How many fingers would I break if I punched _Edward's_ nose?

"All of them, undoubtably," he answered me with a chuckle, and now it was Embry's turn to look slightly mystified. I stalked away towards the TV, mentally shrieking the Spiderman theme song as the two of them followed after me.

"I had no idea you were a Spiderman fan, Leah," Edward said, hands in his pockets as he eyed me with amusement. "I have to say, it's infinitely better than most of your musical choices, though."

"I could always switch back to 'Henry the Eighth' if you want," I answered sweetly. _Or if you keep annoying me_. He smirked, but didn't get a chance to answer since Emmett caught sight of me and bounded out of his chair.

"Leah! My favorite wolf! Wanna make a bet on the game?" he asked eagerly with a wicked gleam in his eye. Guess I needed to thank Carlisle for tipping me off this week.

"Not a chance. Nice try, though," I shot back, and grinned at his crestfallen look. Suddenly, I looked around the room, and nervous butterflies fluttered around wildly in my stomach. What was I doing getting all cozy in the Vamps' living room? I hadn't promised Embry that I'd actually come in and watch the game, so what was I doing? Hesitantly, I took a step back, away from the happy atmosphere around the TV, as my skin crawled uncomfortably. This wasn't right. I didn't belong here and I-

Embry tugged on my arm and pulled me down onto the couch next to him. My wary, restless gaze landed on his deep, chocolate brown eyes, and he grinned easily at me. I just stared at him, my back ramrod straight as I perched on the edge of the cushion.

"S'not so bad, B. Just relax and watch the game with me," he murmured in a voice so low no one else could hear. I frowned as my eyes darted anxiously around the room again and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I dunno. Maybe I should just go running or-"

"Please?" he asked, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. Who could resist him when he looked like that? Heaving a sigh that came straight from my toes, I leaned back into the soft, pale cushions of the couch next to him. He grinned triumphantly, and I nudged him playfully in the ribs and rolled my eyes.

Soon, everyone was congregated in front of the TV as the game started, and I sank into my little corner of the couch and made myself as small as possible. With Embry's enormous, reassuring bulk squeezed up next to me, I felt almost invisible. I didn't even have to move to get food, since he kept filling my plate for me. Maybe having my own personal mini-Jasper wasn't so bad after all. I could tell he understood how awkward and strange this was for me, and he was doing the best he could to make it easier for me. I wanted to hug him until he turned blue and passed out from lack of oxygen.

Because this was wonderful, this feeling of being a part of a big, happy group like this where nobody loathed my presence or wished I would just disappear. I felt so warm, so comfortable, and oh, so content.

The game ended sooner than I wanted it to, but Embry made no move to get up from the couch and I was grateful for that. It gave me an excuse to stay tucked up into my corner of the couch with my happy feelings just a little bit longer. Charlie got up to help my mom carry some of the trays back to the kitchen, and I smiled a little to myself at the way they looked at each other. They seemed like teenagers falling in love for the first time.

I glanced away and saw Jacob giving Nessie a piggy-back ride up and down the stairs, and suddenly, my good feelings were gone. Crap. Time to confess my dirty deeds. Luckily for me, the vamp doctor was talking to Edward a few feet from the couch and everyone else was scattered in other rooms of the house.

"Uh, Carlisle? Would you mind if I asked you a favor?" I asked nervously. He turned towards me, obviously surprised, but he nodded politely. Embry stopped finishing off my plate of food to look at me, and Edward did his best to look nuetrally blank.

"Could you take a look at my hand again? It's kind of sore," I muttered in a rush.

"It is? That's odd. It seemed like it was perfectly healed," he replied with a perplexed frown.

"It was. But then I... sort of hurt it again," I told him sheepishly as I put my hand into his cold, marble grasp. Embry snorted in amusement.

"Yeah. On Sam's face."

"What?!" Jacob burst out in a loud, startled voice, stopping dead with Nessie half-way up the stairs. Instead of answering him, I tried to make myself as tiny as I could on the couch. Embry just shrugged at the dark look I gave him and started stuffing his face.

"Ah, punching people again, Leah?" Carlisle chuckled good-naturedly as his fingers probed along my bones.

I gave him a half-hearted, embarrassed grin. "I remembered to tuck my thumb in this time, at least."

"What happened?" Jacob growled abruptly above my head. I shriveled into the cushions and prayed that Embry's bulk would somehow hide me. Jake's eyes were narrowed with fury when I risked a glance up at his face. Oooh, hell.

"Leah punched _Sam_?" Emmett exclaimed in disbelief, suddenly leaning over the couch to stare in awe. Great. Where the hell did he come from??

"Broke his nose, too," Embry told him cheerfully. "You should've seen him sprawled on his back in the dirt, man. It was awesome."

Emmett beamed at me. "You totally laid him out? Aw, man! I miss all the good stuff."

"_What happened?_" Jacob growled again, louder, but I ignored him and answered Emmett instead.

"I didn't actually knock him down. He just tripped over something on the floor and fell."

"Still, you broke his nose? Seriously?" he demanded cheerfully, and Embry and I nodded. Jacob snarled under his breath, and suddenly Seth and Quil were at his sides, peering down at me questioningly. Nessie slid around the couch, and Edward swung her up into the security of his arms.

"What's going on? What happened to your hand, Leah?" Seth asked in confusion as Bella and Rosalie drifted into the room. One look at Jacob's face, and the two of them moved swiftly to stand by Nessie and Edward.

"She punched Sam in the nose," Emmett stated proudly, like I'd won the Nobel Peace Prize. My face had turned an interesting shade of eggplant by now, and I wished I could somehow hide behind Embry for the next few hours. This was so not going well. And just to make things more interesting, Alice and Jasper walked in. The room suddenly buzzed as everyone talked at once.

"Leah, you punched _Sam?_" "She seriously decked him? Like, in the face?" "Totally broke his nose..." "Holy moses. Emily must've had kittens!" "She _punched _him?"

Even Rosalie threw in a comment, which shocked me right down to my toes. "Well, honestly. It's about damn time."

Carlisle gave my hand back to me, but even he looked like he was fighting a grin. "It feels like there may have been a very slight fracture of one of your knuckles, but I can't be sure without an X-ray. However, since it seems like you don't heal quite as fast as the other Pack members, I'd suggest you don't punch anyone again any time soon, alright?"

"I think I can manage that," I mumbled under my breath. The waves of anger pouring off of Jacob had all but drowned me, and I didn't dare look up at him again. Everyone else might find this highly entertaining, but he sure as hell didn't. Embry stood up and turned to face him with me, and I was pathetically grateful for his support.

"Outside. Now." Jacob ordered tightly. I swallowed hard, but I lifted my chin and filed silently after him with the rest of the Pack at my heels. Mom and Charlie came out of the kitchen just in time to watch our little procession with confusion, and Esme flashed me a sympathetic, supportive look over their shoulders.

"What's going on?" I heard Charlie ask in a confused, somewhat amused voice.

"Leah punched Sam in the face!" Emmett replied gleefully, and I had to stifle a hysterical giggle at his wild enthusiasm.

Jacob led us several feet into the woods without saying a word. I got the idea; he was planning to shift so he could get every single detail about the Nose Incident from our memories. I had to repress a shudder as I slipped out of sight for some privacy. Thank god I could count on Embry to have my back in all this.

I let the tremors take me, and closed my eyes as the familiar heat raced through my bones. A moment later, I shook my grey fur, stretched my lean body once, and sauntered back through the trees as nonchalantly as possible. I could hear the boys' voices join me inside my head one by one and focused on keeping my thoughts as blank as possible. Jacob's seething anger had me jittery. Would this be the last straw that would finally make him send me packing?

I plopped myself down on my haunches just outside the tight group of my giant Packmates and tilted my head, waiting. Embry detached himself to shove his shoulder against mine before he laid down and placed his enormous head on his paws. He yawned and somehow managed to look utterly bored.

_"Let's get this over with and go for a run. What do you say, B?" _

_"I say I'm pretty sure I could lap you at least twice, but whatever makes you happy," _I answered him in the same casual tone. Jacob glared at us, and I swore his eyes nearly glowed red with fury. I wished I hadn't sat down, so I could maintain some distance between us in case I needed to make a break for it.

_"Leah, I'm not going to attack you. Unless one of you doesn't start telling me what happened," _Jake growled ferociously. I hunched my shoulders and scowled darkly.

_"Okay. You really want to know? Sam came to your garage yesterday, and he pissed me off so I punched him. And then he left. There you go."_

_"Geez, Leah. Way to go into detail," _Seth thought sarcastically. I bared my teeth at him, but Jake's snarl cut me off.

_"Not good enough. Stop dodging and give it to me straight before I lose the little bit of patience I've got left."_

_"Relax, man. Don't jump down her throat. I'll show you what happened," _Embry thought casually, but his narrowed eyes were trained on Jake's bared teeth. The whole uncomfortable incident with Sam suddenly flashed through my mind, and it was strange to see it all from Embry's point of view. I kept quiet and didn't bother to add my own version of the story; reliving it once was more than enough for me. Jacob got up and paced heavily while the whole thing played out, a snarling growl breaking past his teeth every few moments.

It was unnerving to see myself from Embry's memories; my back straight and stiff, my arms rigid at my sides as I faced Sam angrily. Seth whined and slid up to me, butting my shoulder with his head. I guess he didn't much like seeing me like that, either.

_"Oh, no way! He said that?" _Quil suddenly exclaimed when Embry got to the part where Sam insulted Jacob and the Cullen's. Out of all of us, he was the only one who still spent time with Sam, and the shock was evident in his thoughts.

_"No wonder you punched him, Leah. Wish I would've been there," _Seth, my sweet, friendly Seth, growled fiercely.

Embry gave a short nod, his casually indifferent facade replaced by black, simmering anger. _"Me, too, dude. Would've been nice to have more even numbers."_

_"'Cause I don't count for much. Thanks, Tank," _I sniffed sarcastically. He raised himself onto his haunches and pushed his shoulder into mine.

_"That's not what I meant. You didn't think three against two were very good odds, either."_

Quil shook his head, still lost in his shocked disappointment. _"Man. I knew Sam was catching pressure about us leaving his Pack, but I didn't think he'd-"_

_"Pressure? From who?" _Jacob stopped pacing abruptly with a low growl in his chest. Quil skipped back a step sheepishly.

_"I don't really know for sure. It was just something I heard..." _he hedged, and Jake's growl rumbled louder. _"Okay, okay! Emily told me that Sam only went to talk to Leah a few weeks ago because some of the elders are putting heavy pressure on him about the Vamps. They don't like us being so friendly with them. And they really don't like it that all of us- you know, the direct descendents of the first shifters- have pretty much left La Push to stick with the Cullen's."_

Jacob started pacing again, and I tossed my head with a snort. _"All the wolves are direct descendents. What difference does it make to them if we're gone?"_

_"You guys are traceable, though. All the way back to the root of everything. You, Seth, and Quil. Jake, too, but there's nothing they can do about him now that he's imprinted on a Cullen," _Embry thought quietly. There was an undercurrent to his thought, a darkness underneath that was hiding something. I glanced sharply at him, but he avoided my gaze and sank back down on his stomach. His roots would be traceable, too. If the truth about who his father was ever came out.

_"Besides that, nobody in La Push really trusts the Cullen's, anyway. Especially anybody that knows the truth. I mean, remember how we all used to hate them for no reason other than being what they are?" _Quil continued slowly. _"You should see how much Emily worries about you guys when she knows you're over here."_

_"Let her worry, then. That's her problem," _I thought angrily, trying to cover up the little bit of guilt that shot through me. After all, Emily had once been like my sister before Fate had twisted everything so horribly. The boys all had the same uncomfortable looks of guilt, and I knew why. Emily had been like the Pack Mother to them- feeding them, worrying about them, caring about them- just the same as Sam had once been an Alpha to us all.

_"You know I never wanted you guys to leave La Push," _Jake suddenly broke in, and his tone was remorseful. _"None of you are tied to me. You're free to go back to Sam's Pack any time you want."_

_"Don't be stupid, dude," _Embry snorted. _"You're the only Alpha I want to take orders from."_

_"Yeah. It's almost like I don't have a choice, you know? After you left, Sam just didn't have the same authority for me. I'm staying._" Quil agreed. Seth nodded eagerly, his thoughts in total agreement with them. Jacob sighed and turned to me.

_"You know how I feel about it. I'm not going anywhere unless you make me," _I stated flatly. He blew out a frustrated breath and turned away from us.

_"You guys really don't make this easy, you know that?"_

_"I'd say we make it really easy. We're your Pack, end of story," _I informed him bluntly.

_"Oh, yeah. 'Cause punching Sam in the face really smooths things over for me," _he snarled sarcastically back, and I ducked a little under the heavy fury coating his words. Surprisingly, the hackles on Embry's neck lifted, and he actually growled at Jake from where he was laying next to me on the forest floor.

_"Back off, Jake. She punched him 'cause he insulted __**you**__. You and the Cullens. If she hadn't stopped me, I would've done a lot worse and to hell with the consequences," _he snapped. _"You should be thanking her, not chewing her a new one." _

I was too shocked to do much more than glance uneasily between the two of them. And I wasn't alone in that, either. Quil and Seth's thoughts were uncharacteristically blank as they waited anxiously for our Alpha's response.

Suddenly, I lifted my chin haughtily. _"Tank's right. I'm not going to tolerate anyone, not even Sam, insulting my Pack or my fr-friends." _

I stuttered over the last thought, shocking even myself by applying that word, however circumventally, to the Vampires. Seth's huge grin stretched his wolfy face comically, and I bared my teeth at him.

_"Shut it, Seth. Don't read too much into that," _I snarled quickly, ignoring the way Embry's shoulders heaved with silent laughter at my side. Quil tilted his head to the side and stared at me like I'd suddenly turned bright pink. Dang, stupid, annoying...

_"Enough," _Jacob's undeniably Alpha tone silenced us in a fraction of a second. Images, thoughts, worries, unbridled fury rolled unchecked through his brain, and my eyes widened with a sudden revelation. He wasn't furious with _me_. Not even in the slightest! Sure, he was annoyed that I'd been provoked enough to break Sam's nose, since that just increased the tension between the Packs, but he didn't blame me at all. In actuality, he was grimly ecstatic that I'd hauled off and decked the man. No- he was angry at Sam for messing with Embry and I, and more than that, he was absolutely furious with himself for not being there to deal with Sam's impotent 'threat'.

_"Why didn't you wait for me? Why didn't you call me, shift and howl, anything?" _he demanded. _"This is my crap to deal with, not yours!"_

_"This is our Pack, too. We work together, remember? Your problems are our problems, and besides, we've got the right to defend our Alpha," _I returned hotly. No way was I going to let Jake shoulder everything. Wolves functioned better in teams, packs, and I wasn't about to let him try to pretend he was still the Lone Wolf.

Jacob grimaced mightily. _"That wasn't exactly what I meant, Leah. You shouldn't have to deal with Sam. Not ever."_

For an instant, a vivid picture of me, shaking, ghastly white, being helplessly sick in the bushes streaked across my consciousness, and I flinched violently away from it. I wasn't even sure who'd thought about that, Jake or Embry, and I didn't care. I was livid with embarrassment and rage.

_"You don't need to protect me, oh Most High Alpha. I can deal with my own issues without your help," _I snarled fiercely, on all fours now, my fur on end. Embry rolled one baseball sized eye up at me in indulgent exasperation.

_"Cut the drama, B. Nobody's saying you can't, only that you shouldn't have to, not while we're around. What's wrong with your friends trying to protect you, huh?"_

_"So that's why you broke his nose, Jake. Good call on that one, man," _Quil interjected, and I suddenly got the feeling that he hadn't been completely behind Jake on that incident until he'd seen that awful memory of me. Seth whined again and shoved up against me, willing me to calm down. I sank back onto my haunches again, burning embarrassment flooding my bones.

Jacob sighed gustily. _"Look, I'm not saying I'm not grateful for you guys sticking up for me, but I don't want you putting yourselves out there like that. If Sam really is catching some heavy pressure from some of the elders, then tensions between our Packs could get pretty high. I want to avoid that if at all possible, for obvious reasons-" _he glanced sideways at Quil- _"so the next time something like this happens, wait for me. Let me handle it, okay? That means no more fighting."_

I smirked under his pointed look. _"Can I punch him again if you're there?"_

_"Sure, sure," _he replied, a hint of a chuckle coloring his thoughts.

_"No fair. Both of you already had a crack at him. Next time it's my turn," _Embry informed us seriously, and I laughed out loud with a short, barky laugh at his sincerity.

Quil shifted anxiously, his thoughts on Claire. _"You really think things could get bad between the packs again, Jake? 'Cause I can't, I mean... I don't know how I can-" _

Jake cut him off, completely in tune with where his thoughts were heading. _"I don't know, man. But I can promise you I'll do my best to keep that from happening. And if it does... well, we'll all understand."_

The dark look on Embry's face sure didn't make it look like he would understand, though he veiled his thoughts very, very well. But I had a feeling I knew what he was thinking, and I could hardly blame him. If things between the Packs went south again, Quil would ditch us to be able to stay with Claire. He'd bail on his Pack and his two best friends, all because of his stupid _imprint. _

_"At any rate, I'm heading over to La Push to have another little talk with Sam. Clear the air or whatever," _Jake told us, heaving a sigh.

_"I'm coming with you," _Embry immediately snarled, and Seth seconded that quickly.

_"Thanks, but I'm just going to talk. I think it'll go over better if I don't bring half my Pack with me."_

Embry snorted. _"And I think you'd be an idiot to walk in there without someone watching your back. Paul and Jared will be itching for a little bit of payback for yesterday."_

_"Hey, I'll head back with you," _Quil interjected. _"I'm around all the time, anyway, so it won't make anyone jumpy, and I can still watch your back."_

_"Not to mention check if Claire's back from her playdate yet," _I added with a quick eye roll. Embry chuckled next to me, and Quil ignored both of us.

_"Alright, then. Quil and I will head to La Push, and the rest of you __**stay here**__," _Jake commanded, giving us a hard glare.

I grinned a goofy, wolfy grin down at Embry. _"Stay, boy! Good puppy!"_

_"Do I get a treat if I do?" _he joked back.

Jacob rolled his eyes. _"Hilarious, guys. Just do me a favor and go back to the house, okay? Let Nessie know I'll be back soon."_

_"Oh, yeah, sure. Like I'm going to shift until you're back here," _I replied with a sarcastic roll of my eyes.

_"She's right, Jake," _Embry added. _"If things go south, all you gotta do is phase and we'll be there."_

Jake narrowed his eyes, his thoughts already arguing with us, but Seth cut him off. _"I'll go back and talk to the Cullen's. Leah and Embry can just howl if they need me."_

He scooped his clothes into his mouth and trotted off into the trees before anyone could argue with him. Jacob shrugged, and he and Quil headed off toward La Push.

_"Have fun whupping some booty, oh Great Alpha," _I smirked, and I swear if we'd been human, he would've turned around and given me a very rude hand gesture.

_"Just remember it's __**my **__turn to break Sam's nose, so keep your fists to yourself," _Embry chimed in. Jacob snarled a little bit, but Quil chuckled. They raced away, and Embry and I waited in silence until they phased and their conciousness faded from our minds.

_"So, how 'bout that race, B?" _Embry asked me with a wolfy grin. I thought hard for a minute, flexing the muscles in my legs pensively.

_"Yeah. A race sounds fun. But I want to try something. Wait here, okay?" _

He stared after me in confusion as I darted away through the trees. I reached my clothes and shifted quickly, figuring Jake and Quil would be fine as long as one of us stayed in wolf-form. Fully dressed, I sprinted back to a wary Embry. His baseball sized eyes regarded me apprehensively as I came up to his side. I almost laughed at his expression. What, did he think I was going to demand a piggy-back ride or something?

"Okay, here's the thing. I want to try racing you like this. Human," I told him confidently. He shook his shaggy head with a laughing grin, obviously wondering if I'd somehow lost it. "I'm serious, Tank. I just want to try it. Just one time around the perimeter. Please?"

He shrugged his massive shoulders, his expression telling me, "it's not my fault if you feel like an idiot when you can't keep up," as clearly as if he could speak it. I just grinned at him and dropped into a sprinter's crouch at his side.

"Ready, set, GO!" I shouted, and we exploded forward through the trees. My feet flew over the now well-worn path, and I pushed my muscles to the absolute maximum. Embry strained to keep up by my side, but it wasn't long before he slowly dropped behind me. A few moments later, we blew past our starting point and Embry skidded to a halt while I disappeared into the trees to shift.

_"Holy freakin' crap, Leah,"_ Embry thought as soon as I was connected to him again. His thoughts were filled with awe, and I nearly burst with pride. I trotted up to him, a smug smile plastered on my face, and plopped onto my belly on the forest floor.

_"Seriously. How the hell did you do that? I mean, we're all fast when we're human, but that was incredible. I think you could keep up with a vampire when you're __**not **__in wolf-form. When'd you get so fast?"_

_"Practice makes perfect," _I replied casually, even though I knew he could feel my elation.

_"Ah. So that's why you're doing those morning runs."_

_"Yeah. I've got this theory- and don't you dare laugh-" _I warned him with a hard look. _"All of you guys are so much bigger and stronger than me, and you just keep getting stronger. So I thought, since I've always been faster, that maybe it's to compensate. You know, a self-defense thing. So far, the more I run, the faster I get."_

_"And here I thought it was just because you knew you looked hot in short-shorts and tight tank top," _Embry teased.

_"Shut up, Tank! I'm serious!" _I snapped, utterly embarrassed for some unknown reason. Why was it that I felt like I would blush hard enough to give myself a brain anuerysm whenever he said something like that?

_"And who said I __**wasn't**__?" _he countered laughingly, and dodged my teeth snapping at his ankles deftly.

_"Embry, you are such a freak!" _I huffed as I darted off into the trees. He followed me, but we both knew he didn't have a prayer of catching up, especially not now that I was faster than ever.

_"Oh, really? What's so freaky about noticing that you're hot? A guy'd have to be blind not to, you know."_

_"You don't have to say stuff like that to make me feel better about myself, you know," _I bit out. Good lord, I felt so... so... I didn't even know what I was feeling.

Embry laughed, the sound rumbling through his thoughts. _"You are such an idiot, Leah Clearwater."_

_"Is that so? How 'bout we see how many times this idiot can lap you, then?" _I snorted, thinking it was long past time to change the subject. I slowed down just enough to let him catch up with me, and then sprinted ahead through the trees. He was running flat out, but I still managed to lap him twice, although the second time was just as we crossed our starting point. Panting, we both threw ourselves down onto the forest floor and grinned at each other.

_"Geez, you're really doing wonders for my ego today, B," _Embry drawled teasingly, and I gave my barky laugh again.

_"Maybe I'm being selfish and just working on boosting mine."_

_"Fine by me," _he replied as he stretched himself out lazily. _"So, how much longer do you think Jake's gonna be? I'll bet anything he doesn't even tear into Sam like he deserves."_

I was silent for a minute, contemplating the dark undercurrent of anger and resentment that flared everytime he brought up Sam. Resting my head on my paws, I watched him intently.

_"Tank, how come you hate Sam so much? I mean, everyone knows about my issues with him, but what about you? Did something happen between you two when you left his Pack or something?"_

_"No. Nothing like that,"_ Embry answered slowly, but I narrowed my eyes at him. It was there again, that black shadow hiding beneath his flashing thoughts. There were things there, memories, knowledge, that he was forcing away so I could only catch random, unclear glimpses of them. It felt just like the way Sam was, those last turbulent weeks of our relationship when he was hiding his secret, and his imprinting, from me. It made me wary, skittish.

Embry sighed heavily and looked me in the eye, which was another tactic of Sam's when he was trying to convince me of something that I knew wasn't the whole truth. It didn't reassure me very well.

_"Look, Leah, my issues with Sam- well, maybe it's just a personal thing. I don't like his attitude. I don't like how he treats people sometimes. Especially you. I really don't like how he keeps hurting you over and over again."_

_"S'not his fault. You shouldn't blame him for it," _I muttered, and he snorted, suddenly angry.

_"Like hell I shouldn't. Tell me you didn't go home and cry your eyes out over him again last night. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that?"_

I stared at him with wide eyes, breathing hard. _"I..."_

_"Exactly. He rips your heart out time and time again, and __**still**__ you defend him, care about him. It doesn't make any sense and it pisses me off. Someday, you're going to realize he doesn't deserve anything from you, and I hope I'm there to see it."_

I couldn't find an answer for that. He stared off at a distant point through the trees, and I was too busy trying to form a coherent thought of my own to be able to sort through the chaotic, lightening-quick flash of his. Abruptly, he surged to his feet and shook the clinging dirt and leaves off of his fur. I instantly followed suite, forcing my swirling thoughts into some semblence of order so I could pick up on what brought him to his feet.

_"Relax, guys. Everything's cool. I'm just heading back."_

Ah, so that was it. Jacob had phased, and somehow I'd missed it. Not very good for being the Beta. Embry caught that thought and smirked at the scowl on my face.

_"So what happened? Are we at war again?"_ I asked quickly.

_"Tell me you at least took a swipe at him," _added Embry.

_"I thought you said it was your turn for that. No- nothing much happened. We got some stuff cleared up, but it's not going to happen all at once. At any rate, things are civil again. Well, civil enough for Quil's sake for now."_

_"How'd the nose look?" _Embry demanded, darkly amused. An image of Sam's face flashed into our heads, and both of us grinned.

_"I think it looks better that way, don't you, Tank?" _I asked him seriously, even though I was grinning evilly.

He nodded. _"Oh yes. Definitely an improvement."_

Jacob was getting nearer every second, so I slid off into the woods to shift privately. The whole naked business was definitely a nuisance I could live without. As I neared the Cullen's lawn, I could hear Jake and Embry talking in low voices.

"... hope you told him to stay away from Leah," I heard Embry say in a low growl.

"Yeah, but that doesn't cover accidental meetings like yesterday," Jake replied. "Was it bad?"

"Dunno. Probably. I don't like it."

"Neither do I, but it's her business. She's tough, man. She's not going to let Sam bring her down forever."

Okay, I'd had about enough of overhearing that conversation. Good grief. Since when did those two become my guard dogs? It made me feel all squirmy inside, and I didn't like it. Deliberately snapping a few twigs under my feet to get their attention, I pushed through the trees to meet up with them. Their conversation cut off abruptly, and I did my best to seem oblivious to the sheepish looks they gave each other as we headed toward the house.

Alice met us on the bottom step of the porch, bouncing on the balls of her feet like they were made of springs. The urge to clamp my hands on her spikey-haired head to hold her still was momentarily overwhelming, and I hung back behind Jake and Embry as they stopped in front of her.

"What's up, Pixie?" Jacob asked warily. Something about the glint in her eyes was nerve-wracking to say the least.

"There's a thunderstorm coming tonight," she informed us brightly, as if this was the most wonderful piece of news anyone has ever heard.

"And?..." Embry prompted, eyebrows raised.

"_And_... we're challenging you puppies to a baseball game," Emmett exclaimed loudly, sticking his head around the doorframe to grin evilly at us.

"There's only five of us. Four if Quil doesn't come. I'd hardly say that's fair odds, bloodsucker," Jake returned, although the insult was rendered completely harmless by his friendly tone.

Emmett shrugged. "No worries, man. We'll have equal number teams. Although, it'll still be hardly fair, considering how badly we'll kick your butts."

"You're on," Jake stated confidently. He glanced back at us as if belatedly realizing he should've asked us first. Embry nodded, and I shrugged indifferently. A chance to beat the Vamps in their own game might be fun. Only...

"What does a thunderstorm have to do with it?" I wondered out loud, scrunching up my face in confusion. Alice and Emmett laughed heartily and gave each other a frighteningly conspiratal look.

"You'll see," Alice chirped, winking at us before she turned to flit into the house. "Meet us here tonight at midnight."

Jake, Embry, and I gave each other uncertain looks, obviously wondering just what we'd gotten ourselves into. Suddenly, all three of us looked up and cringed at the sight of my very, very angry mother framed in the doorway.

"Leah Suzanna Clearwater. Do you care to explain to me why, exactly, a daughter of mineis going around _punching_ people?"

Oooh, crap.


	9. Picking up Speed

**Picking Up Speed**

**AN: **_Uh- Long time, no update. I'm very sorry about that. But to make up for it, this is an insanely long chapter. Hope it's not boring!!_

_I just wanted to once again give a loud __**Thank You!! **__to everyone who's read, favorited, story alerted, etc this story. And my most profound gratitude to those who took the time to leave a review- you guys keep me inspired to type out the next chapter! I hope I responded to each of you (as for the anonymous reviewers: THANK YOU!!), and remember that I always appreciate any kind of feedback, ideas, criticisms, etc. Thanks again!!!_

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I tapped my foot against the headboard of my bed and tried vainly not to hear the whispered conversation between my mother and Charlie as the minutes ticked slowly by. Mom's volcanic fury at my "inexcusable behavior" had been only marginally appeased by Embry and Jake's repeated attempts to convince her that both punches had been completely justified, so I tried to mollify her by coming back home like a good little girl when she and Charlie had left the Cullen's that evening. I failed to mention the fact that I'd be taking off again sometime before midnight to meet up with the Vamps for the game, but I figured what she didn't know couldn't hurt me.

So far, all my good behavior in meekly coming home and holing up in my room had gotten me was bored stiff and feeling uncomfortably voyueristic about inadvertantly listening in on my mother's relationship stuff. Lolling my head off the end of my bed, I squeezed my eyes shut and hummed a half-forgotten melody to drown their conversation out. My mind drifted to the events of the day, and I found myself smiling a little as I remembered how Embry had defended me to Jake.

He was amazing, my Tank. Way too good to be spending so much time with someone like me. I was a black hole of bitterness, and he was a bright sun of smiles and fun. What if I sucked him into my hell just by hanging around him? What if that dark undercurrent I saw in his thoughts was _my _fault? I didn't want to be the one that ruined him.

But... I needed him right now. As selfish as it was, I was broken, and I needed my Tank to put me back together. Just further proof of what a horrible person I really was.

Wait- Mom and Charlie's voices had stopped. I cautiously quit humming to listen, straining my ears in the heavy stillness. Had they left without me noticing? Were they-

Oh, good god, no! They hadn't left at all, they were just busy doing _other_ things with their mouths! I rolled myself off my bed and bolted to my window, yanking the screen out and jumping to the ground in less than three seconds. No _way_ was I going to stick around and be forced to listen to that!

Once I was safely down the street and out of hearing range, I hesitated and stopped. Just where exactly was I going to go? It was only a little after nine-thirty, almost 2 full hours before I could head over the the Vamps'. Well, I guess I could head over there whenever I wanted, really- Jake and Seth were there- but I still didn't want to spend any more time with them than I had to. Besides, Embry wouldn't be there, and that would take more than half the fun out of it.

Embry. That was it! I'd head over to his house. My feet automatically moved through the streets toward while my mind took up a heated mental debate. Sure, he was nice enough- okay, I think it was about time I admitted that we were friends, really good friends, actually- but what if me showing up at his house would be like crossing the line or something? What if he didn't want me invading his private space?

Well, then he could just kick me out. Or, more specifically, I'd see it in his face or something, since I was fairly certain he'd never actually tell me to leave. Okay. That was my game plan, then. One hint that he wanted me gone, and I'd be out of there faster than Rosalie could get Emmett's pants off. Now I just had to hope he was home...

Sneaking around the back of the small, one-story house, I was immensely relieved to see light pouring out of Embry's bedroom window. I tiptoed up to it and peeked over the almost chin-height sill. There was my Tank, sprawled out lazily on the bed directly below the window, just staring listlessly up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. The pensive look on his face was oddly uncharacteristic, and I frowned a little bit.

"Knock, knock," I whispered, and the way he nearly jumped out of his skin was so comical I had to giggle.

"Geez, Leah! You just scared ten years off my life!" Embry exclaimed, dramatically clutching at his heart and gasping.

"Sorry! Didn't know you were so easy to scare," I giggled again. "So, uh, mind if I come in?"

This was it: my friendship test. Did he only want me around on his terms, or was this as real as I hoped it was? My muscles tensed, ready to bolt, as I searched his face. His eyes lit up, a huge grin spread from ear to ear, and I sagged in relief. Before I could react further, he'd whipped out the screen, reached out, and hauled me through the window onto his bed.

"Guess I'll take that as a yes," I muttered, but my own grin stretched my cheeks so far I thought they might crack. I settled myself into a comfortable crosslegged position as he quietly put the screen back into it's frame.

"So, what's up, B? Thought you went home with your mom like a good, obedient daughter," Embry asked me over his shoulder. I shrugged noncommittally.

"I did. But good, obedient daughters don't listen in on their mom's make-out sessions."

His grimace matched my own. "Ugh. I getcha."

"Yeah..."

Well, this was awkward. Self-consciously, I picked at the loose strings sticking out of his old, worn quilt while he leaned back against his headboard with his arms behind his head again. It didn't help that he was just wearing a scruffy pair of cut-off jeans and no shirt. I mean, who could think straight around a pair of perfect, bronzed abs like that? Forget the six-pack; Embry had a _twelve_ pack. Take that, Brad Pitt!

Sadly, I was no Angelina Jolie, and I had never been more aware of that than this moment. I suppose hanging around the Cullen girls- Rosalie in particular- wasn't exactly good for my self-esteem, but even without that, I knew I wasn't much to look at anymore. Not with my hacked-off hair and the bitterness hardening my face into a mask. I sighed, wishing things had been different and that I'd never lost my title of "hottest chick in La Push".

"So. I never really said thanks for sticking up for me today," I finally said, breaking the silence between us. Embry just looked amused.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't?"

"Well, I don't know," I hedged. "I mean, you didn't have to. It wasn't like I was expecting it or anything."

"Then you should've been," he snorted with a trace of annoyance. "What kind of friend do you take me for, anyway?"

"A good one, I guess," I replied, sheepishly wrinkling my nose. It was a relief to see his eyes light up again, and for a minute, we just grinned across the bed at each other goofily.

"So, what were you thinking about? Before, when I showed up?" I finally asked out of curiousity.

Now it was his turn to shift his eyes uncomfortably and hedge his way around an answer. "Nothing. Just random stuff."

"Random stuff like...?" I raised my eyebrows and waited patiently, even though I knew it was snoopy of me to push like that. But I really wanted to know what was behind that wierd, pensive look when I'd peeked at him through the window.

"I was thinking about you- I mean, thinking about how fast you were today," he corrected hastily. "And I was just wondering if maybe, if I lifted wieghts everyday, I'd get stronger like you got faster."

"What, like you're not strong enough now?" I joked. With rippling biceps like those, I was fairly certain he could punch through the wall without half trying.

Embry shrugged and scowled a little. "It kinda sucks being weaker than most of the guys I hang out with."

"Weaker than who? You could easily beat Seth, Quil too, probably. And pretty much any of Sa- the other Pack, too. Okay, Jake I can understand, but the guy's a monster." I stopped and eyed the massive, muscle-bound hunk lounging on the bed across from me. "Scratch that. You're a monster, too. When you'd get all those muscles? Weren't you the lean one?"

"Growth spurt when the Volturi were here. Mom said she was going to go bankrupt trying to keep me fed," he told me casually, shrugging it off. "Anyway, I wasn't really talking about the Pack."

"Oh. You meant the Vamps?"

"Yeah. It's kinda embarrassing thinking that Alice could beat me in an arm wrestling match. Hanging around the Cullens kinda saps the self-esteem, you know?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded, grimacing. "Tell me about it."

"Don't tell me you're gonna start lifting wieghts now on top of running," said Embry with an amused smirk.

"Ugh. Don't be dense. I'm just saying that being in the same room with one of the Vamp girls- Rosalie especially- is a serious death-blow to my ego."

He blinked and tilted his head, studying me with amused confusion. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Think about it, Tank," I sighed, scowling. "On one hand, there's Rosalie, probably the most beautiful person in the entire _world,_ and then there's just... me. We're not even in the same galaxy, much less the same league. No girl likes to deal with something like that."

"Oh, come on, B. Rose ain't that great," he laughed.

I gave him a dirty look. "You can't tell me you don't think she's incredibly gorgeous."

"Sure, I guess. If you like that type. She doesn't do it for me."

"Is that so? You're not turned on at all by her perfect curves?" I questioned with an innocent smile.

Embry leaned his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes. "Nope. Too va-va-voomy for me. I like my women lean and toned."

"Don't ever get the urge to run your hands through her long, silky hair?"

"Always had a thing for short hair. Looks sexier," he replied, the perfect picture of casual relaxation. I frowned at him, which was a complete waste since he never opened his eyes.

"Never wanted to catch a glimpse of the smooth, alabaster skin under those designer clothes?"

Embry grimaced. "Ugh, no. Skin should be warm, soft, and _alive_, not cold, smooth, and dead, don't you think?"

I pursed my lips, hesitating. Did he realize he'd just basically said he prefered me over Rosalie? No, of course not. Because that's not what he'd said. I was just reading into his words, looking for things to make myself feel better.

"I think you're crazy," I finally answered, and the bed shook underneath me as he laughed heartily. I shook my head and looked everywhere but him. My roving eyes landed on a guitar propped up by the bed, and I blinked in surprise.

"I didn't know you played guitar!" I exclaimed, and his laughing abruptly stopped.

"I wouldn't exactly call it playing," he informed me with an embarrassed grimace. "I mess around with it a little, but I never had lessons or anything, so I pretty much suck."

"Really? How long have you been playing?"

"I bought the stupid thing freshman year. Every once in a while, I try to play a little bit, just to remind myself how bad I am," he replied, flashing a mock-glare at the innocent guitar.

I tilted my head and regarded him seriously. "How come you bought it if you've never really tried to learn?"

"Honestly, I figured it'd be a good way to impress a girl. If I could play it, that is," he told me, an adorably sheepish expression on his face. Now it was my turn to laugh at him, and laugh I did. I laughed until the tears rolled down my cheeks and I had to clutch at my poor, aching sides. Embry didn't seem to mind; he simply watched me laughing with a huge, happy grin of his own.

"So, did it work?" I finally gasped out after I caught my breath. He shrugged.

"Dunno. Never had a girl to try it on."

Swiftly, I leaned over, snatched up the guitar, and tossed it to him. "Well, you've got one here right now. Impress me!"

"Leah, I just told you I sucked. I'm not gonna torture your ears like that," he protested, grimacing. I rolled my eyes and prodded his leg with my foot.

"C'mon. Quit being such a whiny baby. Please?"

I gave him my best pleading puppy-dog eyes and pushed my lower lip out just the tiniest bit into a pout for maximum effect. Embry heaved an enormous sigh of defeat and rearranged the guitar into it's proper position, ignoring my victorious grin.

"You don't really play fair, B. You know that?" he grumbled as he tweaked the strings slightly.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a girl. We don't exactly play fair," I informed him as I scooted myself over to lean against the wall next to the window.

"Trust me, I've noticed," he muttered under his breath so quietly that I couldn't be sure I'd heard him at all. Tentatively, he started plucking at the strings, wincing at his multiple mistakes, but it didn't take me long at all to pick up on the melody.

"'_Nothing Else Matters'_? I didn't know you were a Metallica fan! Sing it for me, Tank!" I exclaimed gleefully. Weird how that was one of my favorite songs and all.

His fingers stopped dead. "Oh, hell no. I don't sing. Not even for you."

"Sure you do. You sang a solo in a concert once. I remember- you were really good."

"Leah, I was in fourth grade!" Embry protested.

I grinned heartily at him. "So what? You were still good. Please, please, please? I'll sing, too."

"Oh for god's sake.... Don't ever tell anyone I did this," he grumbled, and haltingly started to play the melody again. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, humming along.

_So close, no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trusting who we are  
And nothing else matters_

His voice was deep and honey-rich, just like I'd known it would be, even though he was barely making enough noise for me to hear him. It definitely more than made up for his lack of skill with the guitar. Smiling a little, I joined in quietly.

_I never opened myself this way  
Life is ours, we live it our way  
All these words I don't just say  
And nothing else matters_

He gained a little confidence, and his voice grew just a tiny bit louder to match mine. We sang a pretty good sounding duet, if you asked me. And he couldn't have picked a more fitting song.

_Trust I seek, and I find in you  
Every day for us something new  
Open mind for a different view  
And nothing else matters_

The strings twanged discordantly, and I opened my eyes with a grimace. Embry cursed a little under his breath and flopped the guitar next to him on the bed unceremoniously.

"That's as far as I've got. Never could figure out the next part," he told me sheepishly.

I shrugged and smiled at him. "That's okay. Play me something else!"

"Can't. That's the only thing I can play. Well, sort of play."

"Oh. Well... maybe you should stick to singing instead of the guitar, anyway," I told him seriously. He snorted, and I prodded his leg with my toes again. "I'm not kidding, Tank. All you've gotta do is sing some sappy love song to the girl you want, and she'll melt into a puddle at your feet."

"Is that so? I'll have to try that sometime, then," he replied with a laugh. "Since when are you a Metallica fan, B?"

We launched into discussing our favorite music, favorite movies, favorite foods, favorite _anythings_, and somehow completely lost track of time. We would've missed going to the Cullens' completely if it wasn't for Quil poking his head around the window sill, completely freaking us both out. He looked comically surprised to see me lounging across Embry's bed like it was a regular occurence.

"Whoa. Uh... hey, guys. We going to the Vamps' or what?" he asked after we all stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Huh? Oh. The game. Right. Yeah, we're coming," Embry replied, and Quil disappeared into the woods to shift. He yanked the screen out and motioned for me. "Ladies first."

"In that case, after you," I replied, smirking. Rolling his eyes with a grin, he dumped me out the window and hopped out after me.

"See you in the fur," he said, then jogged off into the woods after Quil. I headed into another area for privacy, stripped, and shivered out of my human form. The boys were already shifted, and I caught up with their loping strides easily. We raced swiftly through the trees across the border and into Cullen land. Seth trotted up to meet us as we neared the house.

_"Hey, guys. Don't bother shifting back. We're going to be running wherever we're going anyway. Everybody's waiting up at the house," _he informed us cheerfully. _"How'd you convince Mom to let you come, Leah?"_

_"She doesn't know I'm gone. She was a little... __**busy**__ when I left," _I thought, and all of them gagged a little at the memory I inadvertantly showed them.

_"Gross. C'mon Leah, we all like your mom and all, but I really didn't need to know that," _Quil complained. Seth's emotions were torn between being fiercely happy that Mom was finally enjoying herself again and violently ill at the thought of our mother and Charlie... doing... that...

The Vamps were all waiting out on the lawn, minus Esme and Nessie, who I assumed was already long asleep. They were all kitted out in matching baseball uniforms, and the entire Pack except for Jacob, who was lolling on the ground by Bella, had a hard time concealing our barky laughter.

_"Alice?" _Embry asked in amusement. Edward inclined his head with a barely perceptable nod, a slightly pained look on his face, and we all had trouble reining in our laughter again.

_"Thank god you don't try to dress us up, Leah," _Seth thought fervently. The sudden image running through my head of giant wolves wearing oversized baseball hats and striped shirts dropped us all to the ground with helpless laughter. Emmett pulled at his outfit uncomfortably.

"Told you this was overkill," he muttered to Alice, who scowled unhappily at us.

"Actually, they're all laughing at the thought of getting dressed up in matching uniforms themselves. In wolf form, of course," Edward informed him, chuckling himself at the image.

"Oh! That's a great idea for next time!" Alice exclaimed. Our laughter abruptly stopped.

_"Great work, Leah. Now Alice is going to try to dress us up in little doggie outfits," _Jacob groaned. I bared my teeth at him.

_"Don't blame me. Your precious vamp-in-law's the one who told her!" _

"Shouldn't we get going if we want to get the most playing time out of this storm?" Carlisle asked smoothly. Rosalie smirked at us.

"Try and keep up, puppies," she said tauntingly before taking off into the trees. All the Vamps followed with a laugh.

_"Shall we?" _Jake thought, rolling to his feet.

_"Leave 'em in the dust, Leah," _Embry growled. I tossed my head back and took off, the Pack trailing behind me as I tore through the woods. It was no trouble at all to catch up with the Cullens, and soon Edward and I outstripped the others as we raced ahead.

"You do realize you don't know where we're going, right?" Edward asked me with a laugh.

_"That's the only reason you aren't staring at my tail right now," _I replied, my tongue lolling out of my mouth with a wolfy smirk. His laugh made it clear he didn't believe me, but the truth was I wasn't running flat out at all. Now that the oldest of us were almost fully matured, even the slowest Wolf could keep pace with a Vamp. We _were_ designed to be their ultimate enemy, after all.

Edward skidded to a halt in a large clearing up in the mountains, and I bounded half-way across it before digging my claws in to grind myself to a standstill. Panting, I pranced around a bit to cool my muscles, ruefully aware that Edward needed to do no such thing. _That_ was our great disadvantage. While in theory we could become faster and stronger when in our wolf forms, we also had the physical limitation of exhaustion. They didn't.

The rest of the Vamps and the Pack hurtled into the clearing then, and I trotted off into the woods to shift. It would certainly make things more fair if we could play in our stronger forms, but how the hell could a Wolf swing a bat? Phasing back and forth was hardly an option, either, thanks to the naked part.

The difference between our groups when we came together on the playing field was laughable. The Cullens were all immaculate: well-groomed, uniformed, perfect. The Pack, on the other hand, looked like a rag-tag team from the wrong side of town: no shoes, no shirts in the case of the guys, and ratty cut-off shorts. It looked like something out of a sappy, bad movie where the upstart, poor kids team takes on the snooty rich kids, and then beats them like a drum.

"Okay, I'll be the umpire for this little game. So, let's keep this clean and honest," Carlisle announced, shooting a pointed glare in Emmett's direction. The giant teddy bear just grinned an unbelievably smug grin and shrugged his shoulders.

"No problem, Carlisle. It's not like we're gonna need to cheat to murder these guys!"

"That still leaves six against five," Jake stated as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. All of the Pack members followed suit and glared menacingly at the other team.

"That's right. We need to vote to see who sits out with me," Carlisle agreed.

"I vote Edward," I piped up instantly. "It'll hardly make a fair game if you got a mind-reading cheater on your side."

"Mind reading cheater?" Edward spluttered, protesting, as the Pack nodded in agreement. Bella patted him sympathetically, but apparently seemed to agree with us.

"She's right. We'll never be able to say we won fair and square if you're playing."

Emmett looked ready to protest, but Embry cut him off. "What, scared of losing your advantage, tough guy?"

Emmett bristled. "Not a chance. Sorry, Ed. You're off."

Grumbling, Edward backed off to stand next to Carlisle. Thunder rumbled omninously above us as a bolt of lightening lit up the clearing with a blinding flash. Alice stepped forward, casually tossing the ball up and down.

"It's almost time. I assume you all know the rules?"

Jake snorted and flashed a pointed look in Bella's direction. "Probably better than some of you."

"Right. Heads or Tails?" Alice replied, grinning evilly from ear to ear as she held up a coin. A deafening crack of thunder later, we were up to bat, and the game was on.

Little Alice stood deceptively still on the pitcher's mound as Jake stepped up to the plate. Bella crouched down as catcher, no glove on her hand and a smug smirk on her face. I surpressed the childish wish that some of her human clutziness would make a reappearance and she'd end up with a ball in her face just to wipe the smile off of it.

With a flick of her wrist, Alice suddenly sent the ball whistling through the air into Bella's hand, and Jake blinked stupidly in astonishment.

"Strike one," announced Carlisle unnecessarily.

"Idiot. Keep your eye on the ball," I muttered, crossing my arms tightly over my chest in frustration. They were gonna laugh us off the field if she struck us all out without one hit just because we underestimated her. Jake scowled in determination before crouching into his stance again. This time, when Alice flicked her wrist deceptively, he was ready for it.

He struck the ball with almighty force, the crack of it echoing off the mountains as it sailed out of sight through the trees. Jasper was off like a shot after it, and Jake's bare feet pounded swiftly around the plates. Carlisle and Edward were tense, listening, and I jumped up and down silently with nervous anticipation.

"He didn't catch it," Edward murmured, and Carlisle nodded in agreement. Jake rounded second base to third, and I heard the unmistakable sounds of Jasper racing back through the woods.

"Stop, Jake, stop!" I shrieked, and he skidded over third base to land on his butt about two feet away from it. Jasper broke through the trees, and Jake scrambled on hands and knees to get back to safety. He touched the base just as Jasper whipped the ball to Rosalie.

"Safe!" Carlisle bellowed, and the Pack cheered. Jake grinned and dusted himself off, intentionally flicking bits of dirt and grass in Rosalie's direction while she sneered at him in disgust.

Seth was up next, and he gave up two strikes before he finally connected with the ball. Emmett scooped up his grounder before it hit the tree line and tossed it quickly to Jasper as he sprinted toward first base. Seth was out, but not before Jake crossed home plate. Bella grumbled about how Emmett should've thrown the ball to her first while we high-fived all around. Alice scowled on the mound as Emmett and Jasper had a hurried, whispered conversation. Apparently, we were proving more difficult to beat than they had expected.

I patted a dejected Seth on the back as I took my place at bat. My sweaty hands gripped the wood tightly as I frantically considered my options. I didn't worry about not being able to hit the ball; my reflexes were just as good if not better than Jake's. But my strength was barely half of any of the rest of the Pack's. Even if I hit it as hard as I could, Jasper or Emmett would have no trouble catching it. And if I did a grounder like Seth, chances were high I'd be out before I could reach first base. So what to do?

The ball hurtled toward me, and I made a split-second decision. I bunted. The ball rolled just far enough away that Bella had to scramble after it, and I took off in a desperate, dead-sprint for first. Jasper was right there, one foot on the white base and hands outstretched. I could hear the ball whistling through the air behind me and made a head-long dive for my goal. The dust cleared, and I lay there on my belly coughing, my fingers touching the base, as Jasper stood above me clutching the ball.

"Safe!" Carlisle and Edward declared loudly. I stood up and dusted myself off with a triumphant grin.

We weren't doing all that bad- yet. One out, one run, and one on base. Quil stepped up to bat next, and suddenly I had a really strong urge to take a nap. My eyelids drooped heavily as I blinked sleepily. Why were we playing this stupid game in the middle of the night, anyway? Nobody would care if I just-

Abruptly, I snapped my eyes as wide as they could go, forcing back the lethargy. _Jasper_. That damn, mood-altering, freaky vamp was right behind me, using his mojo to mess with the game. I elbowed him in the gut, which only served to give myself a nasty bruise, and fought off the waves of calm and exhaustion he was trying to blanket me with.

"Not gonna work, buddy!" I hissed, alert once again as Quil got a second strike.

"Oh, really?" Jasper murmured, piqued that I was able to force my way through his false lethargy. Suddenly, I found myself blanketed in a despair so deep most people would've crumpled into a sodden heap of tears right there. Fortunately for me, I'd felt despair much, much deeper than that. I let it wash over me, an idea forming in my head as Quil struck out spectacularily. Embry stepped up to bat, and I closed my eyes for a second to dredge up my most painful, dark memories. Sam breaking up with me, Sam kissing Emily, _Sam not wanting me_.

That did it. The horrible, stabbing pain ripped through me just as Embry's bat connected solidly with the ball. Jasper reeled back from me, his face contorted, and I took off for second base.

"Take that, you freaky Mojo Master," I muttered. He backed off into the field again, grimacing, and Embry pumped his fist victoriously at me. I grinned back at him, but it felt a little hollow. Beating Jasper at his own game hadn't come without a price. I shook my head to clear it and focused on the game once more.

Jake was back to bat, and this time Emmett and Jasper weren't going to be caught unprepared. I signed emphatically at him, desperate to make him understand that he should bunt, hit a roller, _anything_ but belt it out into the trees again. But, apparently, for being the Most High Alpha, he was as dumb as a bag of hammers.

First pitch, he slammed the ball out into left field and we took off running. Unfortunately, Emmett was faster. He bounded up the side of a tree, launched himself off of it, and caught the ball before I could round third base.

"That's three! Switch it up!" shouted Carlisle. "One, nothing: Wolves!"

As if anyone on the field didn't already know that. The Pack huddled for a second around the pitcher's mound to divy up positions, and I smacked Jake upside the head for his bone-headed manuevre.

"What part of 'bunt it or hit a grounder' don't you understand?" I growled ferociously at him.

"Oh, that's what you were doing? I just thought you got a bug in your shirt or something," he replied with a scowl of his own. "Okay. I'm pitching. Leah, you take catcher-"

"No way, man. We need her out on the field," Embry broke in.

"Yeah, Jake. She's the fastest," Quil interjected. "I'll take catcher."

"Right. Then Seth, you cover the bases, and Embry help Leah cover the field," Jake muttered quickly as we began to break apart.

"Watch out for Jazz. He's gonna be messing with us," I informed them with a significant glare in the scarred vamp's direction. He dipped his head like an old-fashioned southern gentleman with an unashamed smirk.

Rosalie stepped up to bat first, and Jake stood idly tossing the ball up and catching it for a few minutes.

"Hey, Rosalie, why'd the blond put lipstick on her forehead? 'Cause she wanted to _make-up _her mind!" he called, grinning. I wasn't the only one who groaned at his incredibly lame joke.

"Just shut up and pitch, dog," Rosalie hissed. She glared malevolently at him, and I was more than a little worried she was going to slam that ball straight at his face. Or someplace a little more... vulnerable. Jake didn't seem too worried about it as he pulled his arm back and threw. His wind-up may have been a whole lot more showy than Alice's, but the actual pitch definitely wasn't any slower. She connected, sending the ball whistling in a straight, low path over right field near Embry. He dove, and it hit his bare hands hard with a dull thwack. I winced at the sound, but he just rolled to his feet with an ecstatic smile and chucked the ball back at Jacob. Rosalie pouted and flounced back to her team where Emmett gave her a "reassuring" cuddle. It looked more like an excuse for a quick grope, if you asked me. I flitted over near enough to Embry to be able to whisper without any of the vamps overhearing.

"How bad is it?" I mouthed when he looked over at me. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just stings. Don't want to try to catch Emmett's, though."

I scowled. "Next time we're bringing gloves."

Alice was up next, and she hit a fast grounder right along the foul line that sent Seth and I scrambling after it. She stood smugly on one foot on first base, examining her nails, as Bella stepped up to bat.

"Move on in, guys," Jake called mockingly, and the gleam in Bella's eyes turned deadly. That seemed a sure sign to me to be tensed and ready to sprint into the trees after a hard hit. Stupid Jake just _had _to taunt her. She swung and missed the first pitch, and Edward stepped close enough to murmur something in her ear.

"Hey, no getting advice from the ump!" Quil demanded, and Edward stepped back with that stupid, crooked smile that always made Bella swoon for some odd reason.

She slammed into the next one, and I was into the trees and running before it had even flown above my head. I strained my ears to hear it whistling through the air and copied Emmett's monkey-man move to launch myself into it's path. It smacked me squarely in the chest, but I caught it before I hit the ground.

"Out!" I heard Carlise call from the playing field and grinned despite the aching, purple bruise that was already swelling up under my shirt. It'd be gone in an hour, but right now it looked like I was making a valiant effort to grow a third breast. Sprinting back into the field, I flicked the ball at Jake and waved off Embry's concerned glance. Who cared about a baseball sized bruise when we'd already gotten two outs?

Emmett stepped up with a confident, smug smile, and Embry and I groaned audibly. He pulled a Babe Ruth and pointed out over right field with the bat, and Alice grinned in anticipation from her stance on second base. Sure enough, first pitch, he sent ball precisely where he'd pointed with a deafening crack that made the rolling thunder sound like a quiet whisper. I was after it like a shot, but there was no way I could hope to catch it. It landed softly in the thick undergrowth, and I dove in after it, completely oblivious to the branches ripping at my soft, human skin as I fought my way to the ball. Embry sprinted up to me, and I chucked it at him so he could run it back while I untangled myself from the undergrowth. I could hear the Vamps cheering as I headed back to the clearing, and sure enough, Emmett and Alice were back at home plate. Scowling, I brushed at the blood dripping down my arms and legs and the leaves in my hair as Jasper took his place at bat.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," said Carlisle with concern as all of them looked in my direction, no doubt smelling the blood. I wasn't worried- we stank too badly to them to be a temptation.

"It's no problem. C'mon, let's get playing before the storm lets up," I insisted, waving them off. In truth, most of the superficial scratches had already healed, leaving only a few scabs from a couple of deeper cuts. They'd be gone in no time.

Shrugging, Jake turned back to the waiting Jasper, and the game commenced again. Amazingly, we held them to just the two runs before we managed to get another out. Things were moving fast, furious, and down-right dirty now. Cheating, apparently, was something the Cullens did on a regular basis with baseball. Stolen bases, tripping, the occasional mood alteration, 'accidentally' stepping in front of someone, became the new rules of the game, and Carlisle and Edward gave up trying to keep things clean.

The Pack ganged up on Jasper whenever he was trying to bat by bombarding him with as extreme of emotions as we could muster. Lust seemed particularily effective, and at one point, he'd actually slammed his bat down and stormed off. We'd called it an out. Bella was incredibly easy to manipulate, since just taunting her about how bad she used to be at sports got her so flustered she kept striking out. Of course, when she did hit the ball, it meant either a serious bruise for me, or a home-run.

They retaliated, naturally, and unfortunately, they were better at it than we were. Jasper even had Quil cowering down trying to hide under first base in fear at one point, which actually worked to our advantage since the Vamps were laughing too hard to notice me stealing home. Bella kept up a non-stop stream of sarcastic taunts from her position as catcher, and it unfortunately worked more often than any of us wanted to admit. Emmett was the scariest, though. He'd suddenly loom up in front of you as you were sprinting around the bases, always looking innocently away like he didn't know you were about to run smack into him. It was like running into a granite wall. The first time he did it, I bounced off of him so hard that I nearly knocked myself out. At least he had the grace to look sheepish as Carlisle, Jake, and Embry chewed him out for it.

All in all, we were holding our own. We were never in the lead, but we only trailed by one or two at the most. And suddenly, it was the ninth inning, and we were actually tied. One run away from winning the game, two outs, and I was crouched nervously on second base. Embry stepped up to bat, and I tensed, waiting. His hit was low, but not a grounder, through left field, and Rosalie streaked into the trees after it. I was off, rounding third as she reappeared in a blur of motion. In a split-second decision, I kept going, heading for home as absolutely fast as I could make my legs move, and she was after me like lightening. Seth and Jake grabbed Bella and hauled her away so Rose couldn't throw her the ball, and the race was on. We both dove for home plate, and I slid spectacularily across the base, the dirt and grass shredding my bare thigh as I skidded to a stop. Rosalie lay tangled in a very un-Rosalie like heap with the ball stretched out to touch the arm that was above my head. The air was tense as we stared up at Carlisle and Edward for the verdict.

"Safe," Carlisle murmured finally, with something akin to awe in his voice.

Whooping, Embry, Jake, Seth, and Quil pulled me off the ground and tossed me around like a ragdoll from one to the other as they celebrated. More concerned with getting the dirt out of my leg before it healed shut than cheering, I pushed them away to examine the damage the slide did to my thigh. On a normal human, it would've made an impressive battle scar for a few days, but unfortunately in my case, it was already starting to heal shut. I started wiping at the dirt, leaning on Embry while I tried to manuevre around to see the worst of the damage on the backside. To his credit, he tried to help by brushing off the parts I couldn't see.

"No way. No _way _she could've beaten her there! You saw it wrong, Carlisle," Emmett stated flatly, fuming. Rosalie dusted herself off daintily, though her haughty expression cracked into a quickly hidden sympathetic grimace when she eyed the raw scrapes already healing on my leg.

"She did," Carlisle and Edward returned in unison as Carlisle pulled a thick piece of gauze out of a small first aid kit and soaked it in rubbing alcohol. He held it out to me, but Embry took it from him before I could and started gently cleaning off my superficial wounds. I grimaced at the stinging, and shrugged at Emmett's unhappy scowl.

"I had a head start, you know."

"_Still_. It's not possible. And anyway," he puffed out his chest and smirked broadly. "You guys cheated, so it doesn't count. We're still tied. Re-match!"

"The storm's almost done. We can't play for much longer tonight," Alice informed us, her tiny hands on her hips. Embry gave my leg one last swipe and handed the dirty gauze back to Carlisle. I felt like a weird exhibit in a freak show when everyone stood there and stared at the disappearing scabs on my thigh.

"Fascinating," Carlisle murmured when they were all but gone, as if it was the first time he'd watched our amazing healing abilities. I squirmed uncomfortably and scowled.

"I've got an idea," Embry announced suddenly, and I gave him a tiny, grateful smile. "How 'bout changing things up a bit, Emmett?"

The rest of us looked slightly apprehensive as the burly vamp's eyes gleamed. "You're on, pup. What's the game?"

"Not a game. A race between you and Leah," Embry replied confidently. "We'll mark out the course and see who's faster in a dead sprint."

"_What?_ I'm not gonna-" I started, but Emmett's booming voice overrode mine.

"Awesome. This is gonna be so easy. So, what're we betting?"

Embry thought hard for a minute, his narrowed eyes flashing between my shocked face and Emmett's frightening grin. "Alright. We win, you supply the rest of the parts for Leah's car. We lose...."

He hesitated for a second, and Emmett cut him off. "You lose, and Alice here gets to give Leah a full-out makeover."

"Now wait just a minute," I squeaked in indignation, but once again I was drowned out.

"Deal," Embry agreed with a broad smirk as he shook Emmett's outstretched hand. Alice couldn't seem to stop from squealing out loud any more than I could stop myself from groaning. She latched herself onto her enormous brother and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you!!_" she shrieked, and all the vamps burst out laughing.

"I wouldn't thank him until he's won," Embry remarked with a whole lot more confidence than I had. Naturally, Emmett laughed heartily at us, and the group dispersed to mark out a mile-long course. The Pack crowded around me as I poked Embry hard in the chest.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing? Tank, are you _insane? _There's no way I can beat him in human form! Oh my god, you've doomed me. I'm going to die," I moaned.

"Drama queen. You're not going to die, you're going to beat him and get the parts for your Molly," he laughed. "You beat _me_ today. There's no reason you can't win. He's the slowest, remember?"

"You gotta do it for the Pack, Leah. Leave him in the dust," Jacob ordered, and I scowled at his grinning face.

Seth patted me on the head. "You can do it, sis. I know you can."

"What's so scary about Alice giving you a make over? I thought girls liked that kind of stuff," Quil asked randomly.

I smacked him upside the head and reluctantly headed over to the makeshift starting line. Emmett was already there, bouncing eagerly on the balls of his feet as Rosalie whispered what I assumed was some kind of pep talk in his ear. He grinned evilly at me as Embry and Jake jogged off to the finish line to be judges along with Carlisle and Edward. Alice was already waiting there, presumably so she could drag me off and lock me in her room the minute Emmett's victory was declared.

Oh, god, please let me win.

My palms were sweating but my mouth felt incredibly dry as we crouched down and waited. Emmett's broad grin never faltered, and I suddenly had the intense, red-hot urge to _beat _him, leave him choking on my dust- and not just because of the dreaded consequences of losing. My muscles tense, poised and ready, as Rosalie raised her arm and began the countdown.

"Three... two... one... _GO!_"

I exploded out of my runner's crouch, the landscape blurring past me as I sprinted. I pushed myself to the limit, and still Emmett kept pace with me. At least it looked like he was running flat-out, too. The finish line loomed ahead of us, and the faint sound of our respective teams cheering us on wildly made their way into my consciousness.

_"She's gonna beat you! Do it for the make over, Emmett!!" _

_"C'mon, Leah! C'mon, pass him already!"_

Embry thought I could win; he was absolutely _confident_ that I would win. I couldn't let him down after everything he'd done for me. And he was right. I _could _do this. If I just pushed myself a tiny bit harder...

My muscles screamed as I strained myself past anything I'd ever believed possible as we hurtled across the finish line in a blur of motion. Skidding to a halt, we whirled around for the verdict.

"I don't believe it," Carlisle murmured in awe.

"What? Who won? C'mon guys!" Emmett demanded in frustration. Everyone from the starting line ran up and crowded around us in eager anticipation.

"I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it, either, but..." Edward stopped and shook his head. "It's a tie. A dead tie."

"So, I guess that means nobody won the bet, since nobody lost," Jasper mused, more to himself than anything. Alice stared at him, her mouth hanging open, before a quiver of rage made her small frame tremble violently.

"_What? _Emmett! You... you... _MY MAKE OVER!!!" _

She stomped her tiny foot, and I swear if she'd been human she would've burst into hysterical tears. Emmett didn't seem to notice her little temper tantrum. He looked as stunned as if someone had just proven to him that he was actually a woman.

"I lost? To a _human?_" he demanded of no one in particular.

"Well, technically, we're kind of super-human, and it was a tie, so you didn't actually lose. You didn't win, either, though," Seth told him, grinning hugely from ear to ear. Emmett glared at him, his huge, meaty hands clenched into fists of granite, and I suddenly saw a different side of the Teddy Bear Vamp. This was the Grizzly side, and it apparently wasn't a very good loser.

"Re-match. Right now. Let's go." he said tersely, but Carlisle shook his head.

"That's hardly fair, Emmett. Your muscles might never tire, but hers do, and she's been running all night."

"Fine. But we're doing a re-match _soon," _he stated firmly. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned at him.

"Whatever you want. But I doubt I'm going to get any slower," I laughed. He glared at me for a minute without replying before he turned and took off at a fast pace through the trees. A few seconds later, faint crashing sounds floated out to us from the depths of the forest.

"Oh, that's just great. Now I've got to spend the next week nursing his ego back to health," Rosalie grumbled under her breath, though she didn't look nearly as upset about it as she sounded. I made a shrewd guess about the kind of 'nursing' she was planning on doing, and from the look on Edward's face, I could tell I wasn't all that far off. Still grumbling to herself, she took off after him through the trees.

"He's not really that mad, is he?" I asked apprehensively. Out of all the vamps, he was the one I could honestly say seemed to like me the most. What if I'd just ruined that?

"Don't worry, he won't stay mad. Emmett just isn't used to losing," Edward murmured quietly to me. "Besides, he plays it up a little bit so Rose will, er, boost his ego."

I sighed in relief even as I wrinkled up my face in mock disgust. Yeah, totally done going down that mental picture gallery.

"...not fair! I haven't gotten to do anything fun since Bella and Edward's wedding, and now that stupid Emmett has to go and be so _slow_ and ruin _everything!" _

Poor Jasper was taking the full brunt of Alice's disappointed fury, patting her back soothingly as she wailed into his chest. "C'mon, Alice. It's not so bad. You can always buy Bella a new wardrobe."

"Hey!" Bella exclaimed indignantly as Edward laughed quietly to himself.

"I just bought her one six months ago! And I can never get her to wear any of it unless there's some special occasion. And there isn't any- Oh!" Alice stopped suddenly and pushed herself slightly away from Jasper. Her eyes had that familiar far-away glaze for a moment before she blinked and smiled from ear to ear.

"Oh, Bella! You're going to look so beautiful!" she exclaimed, beaming brighter than the sun. Bella's eyes widened in alarm and she backed nervously away from the excited pixie as everyone exchanged confused glances.

"She _always_ looks beautiful," insisted Edward as he gave her his trademark crooked smile. Embry and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes in unison. Sappy, melodramatic-

Alice waved her hands impatiently. "Yes, yes. But she's _more_ beautiful when I dress her up. And trust me, Bella. You're going to look absolutely amazing!"

"What am I going to look amazing for?" asked Bella in a high-pitched squeak. I had to press my lips together to keep from bursting out laughing.

Alice sighed dreamily. "For Charlie and Sue's wedding, naturally."

"_What?_" Bella, Seth, and I shouted in unison. Good grief, I'd only had that embarrassing talk with my mom a little over twelve hours ago, and now Alice was seeing them getting married? Guess Embry was right, after all.

"Oh, man! That's so awesome! That means you're going to be my step-sister!" Seth exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulders.

"Werewolves and a vampire in the same family. That has to be an absolute first," Edward mused cheerfully, and he and Carlisle laughed together.

"Technically, we're shape-shifters," I reminded him. "And you'll be part of the family, too, you know. Step-brother-in-law."

"And Nessie'll be my step-niece!" Seth continued enthusiastically, high-fiving Jacob like this was the most spectacular thing that could ever have happened to him. I rolled my eyes and kept my personal thoughts to a minimum.

"Are you okay with this, Leah?" Carlisle murmured quietly to me, and I had to marvel at the compassion in his voice. Unfortunately, everyone in the group had enhanced hearing, and now they were all waiting for my answer.

"Yeah. Really, it's great," I choked out, then cleared my throat. "I mean, might as well keep all the freaks in one family, right?"

"Right," Bella replied, smiling at me. "I'm just surprised Charlie worked up the nerve to ask her. I wonder how he did it!"

"I don't think he's asked her yet. Hang on-" Alice said. She wrinkled up her face, and her eyes glazed over for several seconds. Suddenly, both she and Edward were laughing.

"That bad, huh?" asked Seth, grinning with them.  
Alice shook her head and calmed down. "No. Charlie doesn't ask her at all. _Sue_ does the asking!"

For a moment, Bella, Seth, and I just stared at each other, and then Seth whooped.

"Alright, Mom!"

I shook my head in exasperated amusement. "Good grief, I told her to go for it, but I didn't think she'd _propose._"

"It's hardly a proposal," Alice sniffed. "She's just going to say, 'Well, I think it's about time we get married, Charlie,' when they're washing up dishes."

"In that case, she's perfect for him," Bella laughed heartily, and the rest of us joined in.

It was after three in the morning by the time I finally crawled back through my window and waved to Embry as he headed up the street. I was exhausted, but also totally exhilarated. Being a part of something fun, something good, was an unbelievably potent cure for my aching, empty soul, and I was absolutely reveling in the fact that I hadn't felt this happy in _years. _And I wasn't so blind as to not realize Embry was a big part of it.

Embry. My best friend, my Pack-mate, my Tank. He was the last person I thought about before I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

**AN: **_Whew! You made it! Thanks for reading, and I hope there weren't too many glaring grammatical/spelling errors. I do try to proof read, but I don't have a working spell-check.... Please let me know what you think! (and don't worry... Alice will get her make over yet!)_


	10. Choosing a Path

**Choosing a Path**

**AN: **_Sigh. Real life really gets in the way sometimes, you know? I am trying to update as quickly as possible, but between another story I'm in the middle of, life, and work... well, you all know how it is.  
__**Enormous THANK YOU's to all who read and reviewed last chapter! **__Hopefully I got back to you all in person... and yes, I know I'm terribly slow about that, too. Sorry, sorry! But please don't stop giving me encouragement and ideas- I really, really need it! Thanks again!  
Disclaimer: Me no ownies._

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Work was boring. Oh, it was so boring. Don't get me wrong; I loved having a job and the freedom and income it gave me. But there were days, and certain situations, that just grated on my nerves. And standing idly behind the cash register with a politely interested expression while Mrs. Newton and Mrs. Stanley gossiped about the completely boring doings in Forks was one of them. They'd been at it for almost forty minutes, and I was starting to have pleasant visions of pulling their tongues out by the roots.

"Oh, and I was just thinking the other morning how Charlie Swan's daughter has been back in town for a good while now, and _nobody's_ even seen a glimpse of her. Edward Cullen's been out and about a bit, but not Bella," Mrs. Stanley suddenly interjected in her usual fashion of whirlwind topic changes. My shoulders tensed up nervously at the suspicious, busybody tone of her voice and the conspiratal way Mrs. Newton nodded in agreement.

"Those Cullens are weird people," Mrs. Newton said in a low voice, shaking her head. "They way they look... if Dr. Cullen is thirty, I'm a pig's backside. None of them ever look any older!"

"It's because of the surgery," I blurted out, desperate to say something to curb their suspicions. Both women turned surprised, eager faces toward me, obviously excited to find out any new tidbit of gossip, and it sounded like I was dangling a doozy in front of them. I could feel the beginnings of panic welling up in my throat and swallowed convulsively.

"Surgery? What surgery?" Mrs. Stanley asked, eyeing me like a hawk eyes a mouse. I made a show of glancing around the room as if to check for prying ears and leaned forward conspiratally. The two of them looked like they could hardly contain themselves as they mimicked my movement.

"This is all really hush-hush, so don't breathe a word of it. But _I _heard that all of the Cullens look alike because they've all had an experimental type of plastic surgery done," I stage whispered to them. Their shocked gasps were very satisfying, and Mrs. Stanley put a hand over her heart.

"No! Really? Why?"

"Well, it all started when Dr. Cullen had some sort of facial disfigurement. I think it was from a disease or something. Anyway, a friend of his knew someone from... from Brazil who was trying this new kind of reconstructive surgery, and Dr. Cullen agreed to try it. The only problem is, the new face he was given doesn't really age. So he's stuck looking as young as when he first had the surgery," I explained, making the whole thing up on the fly and praying it was some kind of believable.

"Oooooh. I see now," Mrs. Newton breathed, and Mrs. Stanley nodded enthusiastically. "So the rest of the Cullens had this surgery, too?"

I nodded soberly. "Yeah. See, Dr. Cullen was working in the ER when Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie were brought in. They'd been in the fire that killed Jasper and Rose's parents, and they all had really horrible burns. Like, scarred from head to toe."

"Oh, my," sighed Mrs. Newton sympathetically.

"Awful," agree Mrs. Stanley. Wow, they were really eating this pile of hooey up! Emboldened, I nodded again and continued.

"Dr. Cullen thought so, too. He told her about the surgery he'd had, and offered to pay for her and the kids to have it done. Of course she had to agree, you know? Jasper and Rosalie had to have a bunch of those surgeries while they grew up- one every couple of years I heard- and after the last one, they both vowed never to have it done again. Esme's only had the one, like Carlisle. I guess it's really painful or something."

"And the others? The ones they adopted?" Mrs. Stanley questioned eagerly. Man, people really liked to hear about other's tragedies, didn't they?

"Well, after Esme found out she couldn't have kids, she decided that she wanted to adopt, or at least be a foster parent. So that's what they did, only Dr. Cullen wanted to find kids that had special needs- like for the plastic surgery he knew about. All the Cullen kids have had a few of the surgeries each, and as far as I know, none of them are planning to have another one for a long, long time."

"Well, isn't that just something. I never thought..." Mrs. Newton trailed off in stunned surprise.

"No wonder... It sure helps explain their unnatural good looks," mused Mrs. Newton thoughtfully. "And Bella...?"

Oh, boy. How to explain this one? I shrugged my shoulders casually. "That disease she got wherever Edward took her for their honeymoon was some kind of skin thing that ate away at her until she was just a scarred mess. She couldn't stand it, so she went to Brazil and had the surgery, too."  
"Oh, my goodness! I can't believe it!" Mrs. Newton exclaimed, and I nodded.

"It's true. I've seen her," I insisted. "She's finally recovered, but that's why she hasn't been out of the Cullens' house yet."

"How does she look?" questioned Mrs. Stanley breathlessly.

I scrunched up my face to appear like I was thinking hard. "I'd say she looks a lot more like Esme than her own mother now. Too perfect. Too pretty."  
"Oh, that poor thing. It must've broken Charlie's heart," Mrs. Newton said, shaking her head sympathetically.

"Yeah, he was pretty upset. So was Edward. But you do what you've gotta do, right?" I replied casually. "But remember, you didn't hear anything from me."

"Of course not. I won't breathe a word," Mrs. Stanley assured me hastily. Any idiot could see she was lying through her teeth, especially when she wasted no time saying goodbye and hurrying up the road to the diner. Mrs. Newton disappeared into her office and shut the door, but my sensitive ears could hear her picking up the phone to call everybody she could think of. Everything I'd just said was going to be all over Forks before you could say 'big fat lie'.

Now I just had to hope the Cullens wouldn't get too upset about it.

* * *

About two hours later, I was head and shoulders deep into restocking the top shelves when the bell above the door alerted me to someone entering the store. Glancing over my shoulder, I spied Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward casually strolling towards my step-ladder. I groaned to myself as I turned back to the shelves. Great. Of all people, why did Edward have to show up here_ today_? My little 'Cullen Family Story' wasn't going to stay secret much longer with him around.

"Hey, little sister. Haven't seen you since the game," Emmett boomed cheerfully at me and jiggled my stepladder goodnaturedly. I scowled down at him.

"Since when am I your 'little sister'?" I snapped at his grin. Truthfully, I was kind of relieved that he was treating me the same as always. Despite Edward's reassurances, I was worried Emmett would hold a grudge.

"Since Charlie and Sue got engaged," he drawled, thankfully in a slightly quieter voice. "No escaping us now, Wolfy."

Rosalie sighed theatrically, but her exasperated look was undone by the amusement in her eyes when she looked at him. "Emmett, how many times do I have to tell you? Just because she'll be Edward and Bella's step-sister doesn't make her ours. Thank god."

"No kidding. I don't want to be connected to any more of you than I absolutely have to be," I added, shuddering a little to emphasize my point. Emmett shrugged his massive shoulders and slung an arm around Rose's waist.

"Too bad, girls. If Edward gets a new little sister, then so do I. We Cullens know how to share, right, Eddie?"

But Edward was too busy studying the closed door of Mrs. Newton's office to notice even the use of his hated nickname. His marble forehead creased into a confused frown as he cocked his head to listen intently to whatever Mrs. Newton was saying (or thinking). My palms started sweating again, and I rubbed them on the sides of my jeans nervously. Here it comes...

"Leah, why does Mrs. Newton think that all of the Cullens have had massive reconstructive surgery?" he questioned in quiet, confused amusement.

"Say what?" Emmett demanded, swinging his curly head back and forth between Edward and I.

"Reconstructive surgery? _Massive_ reconstructive surgery?" Rosalie repeated with a frown. I turned my back to them to try to hide my blush and furiously started restocking the shelves again.

"I didn't say 'massive'," I muttered under my breath. I refused to look back at them, even though I could feel their sharp, tawny eyes burning holes in my back.

"What did you say, then?" Rosalie hissed impatiently as Edward cocked his head toward Mrs. Newton's door again. I sighed and stopped restocking long enough to offer a quick prayer to the gods of mercy.

"Newton and Stanley were in here gossiping like always, and they were talking about how you guys never age and how weird it is that nobody's seen Bella since the wedding and... and..."

"And?" prompted Emmet.

"And I told them you didn't seem to age because you'd had an experimental type of plastic surgery done, and that Bella had to have it too because of a skin disease she picked up on her honeymoon!" I blurted out in a mortified rush, realizing just how ridiculous it sounded and wishing I'd never opened my mouth in the first place.

Rosalie looked like she was torn between grimacing and laughing. "They bought that unbelievable pile of-"

"Yes. They did. Completely," Edward interrupted suddenly, a wide grin spreading across his face. Emmett guffawed loudly.

"Of all the stupid..." he began, but Edward cut him off with a quick elbow to the ribs and a nod in the direction of Mrs. Newton's door. Sure enough, a few seconds later, it flew open and she charged out. Catching sight of our little group, she advanced on us eagerly.

"Edward Cullen! And Emmett and Rosalie! It's so nice to see you!" she exclaimed in a much more friendly tone than she'd ever used around them before. There was something different in her expression, too. Something a lot like curious pity. Emmett grinned broadly at her, showing all his dimples with boyish charm.

"Nice to see you, too, Mrs. Newton! We just stopped by to get some new camping gear," he boomed out. Mrs. Newton beamed back at him.

"Oh, of course! What're you looking for...?" she led the way with Emmett and Edward trailing behind her, but Rosalie remained standing by my step-ladder. I eyed her warily as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared with narrowed eyes at the little group.

"Unbelievable. She really _does_ believe your ridiculous story," she finally murmured. "Plastic surgery. Honestly."

I shrugged, still blushing with mortification as I diligently shuffled things around on the shelves in front of me. She transferred her tight gaze to me after a few silent seconds.

"You do realize this means we might be able to stay in Forks a few extra years, don't you?" she asked me seriously. I returned her gaze with a hard one of my own.

"That was kind of the point."

She nodded once, short and clipped. "Yeah. Well, I'm grateful. For Nessie's sake. And Bella's, too, I guess."

I was too stunned to do anything but stare back at her. Rosalie, _thanking _me? I hoped Satan had some sweaters, because hell just froze over.

Emmett strode up to us then, loaded down with all his new, unneccessary gear and a broad smile on his dimpled face. Mrs. Newton still had Edward trapped by the camping goods section. I could hear her bombarding him with a few not-so-subtle questions about Bella and tamped down a grin at his polite but non-committal answers.

"I'll ring you up," I muttered to Emmett as I slid off my step-ladder and hurried to the cash registers. He and Rosalie followed, and Edward finally managed to extricate himself to catch up with us.

"Why do you buy all this stuff, anyway? It's not like you use it," I asked in a low enough voice that only they could hear me as I sifted through the pile.

"Gotta keep up the appearances," Emmett replied cheerfully. "'Sides, sometimes we actually go camping."

Rosalie snorted. "We still don't use this junk."

"Honestly, we really came here to pass on a message," Edward informed me, giving his siblings a semi-annoyed look. "Alice thinks Charlie and Sue might be making the official _announcement_ today, if everyone's at the house this afternoon."

"Oh," I replied after a moment's thought. So far, all we knew was Alice's vision that Charlie and Sue were going to get married in the near future. Nearly two weeks had passed since the baseball game without either of them saying a word about getting engaged, and personally I had been starting to wonder if Alice had been wrong after all. Guess not.

"So, you and Embry will head over after you get off work, right?" Emmett questioned as he gathered up his bags. I nodded and he flashed his big grin at me again. "Awesome. I've got a new video game I'm gonna kick his ass on."

"How many more centuries are you going to live before you finally grow up?" I demanded half-heartedly. He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Rosie wouldn't like it if I got all serious and boring like Edward here, would you, Rose?"

In reply, she grabbed his arm and tugged him out of the store with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. Edward shrugged and followed after them with a casual, "see you later" thrown over his shoulder at me. I had to smile just a tiny bit to myself as Emmett's massive Jeep disappeared down the rain-soaked road. "Little sister", ha! Emmett Cullen needed his brain checked.

* * *

A few short hours later, I hopped into the passanger seat of Embry's beat-up Ford and grinned at my favorite person in the whole world.

He smiled back at me broadly. "So, we still parts-shopping for Molly today?"

"Nope, change of plans," I informed him, wrinkling my nose. "We're supposed to go to the Vamps'. Alice thinks Mom and Charlie are going to do the big announcement today. If everyone's there, that is."

"Awesome! Man, can you just imagine how embarrassed Charlie's gonna be?" Embry exclaimed, shoving the car into drive and stomping on the gas. Charlie's cruiser was parked in the Cullen's driveway when we pulled up, and Embry and I exchanged amused glances.

"You think Alice is gonna be right?" I asked him as we climbed out of the car and headed for the house.

"She usually is. This is gonna be seriously hilarious! I'll bet you he turns beet red and your mom has to do all the talking."

"Too bad he doesn't realize that we already know what they're gonna tell us!" I laughed.

The sports channel was on Emmett's massive flat screen- no surprise there- and Charlie, as usual, was parked in front of it. But instead of his typical complete absorption in whatever was going on in the sporting world, he was unusually fidgety. Emmett's seemingly random comments weren't helping the poor guy out, either.

"Guess the _honeymoon_ phase is over for that team," he said at one point, and Charlie jumped and turned a nasty shade of purple.

"That's a real _marriage _of skills there," he commented a moment or two later, and Charlie twitched in his chair. From the gleam in the burly vamp's eyes and the way Bella was glaring at him, I made an educated guess that this had been going on for some time already. Next to me, Embry gave Emmett a huge thumbs up behind Charlie's back as I stifled giggles behind my hands.

Jacob pushed the front door open and headed over to us, and I stopped giggling abruptly at the glum scowl on his face. Nessie bounded up to him for a hug, but instead of the usual 'dear god, it's been two whole minutes since I've seen you, I thought I was going to die,' routine, he gently put her back on her feet and asked if she could find Seth for him. She darted away in a flash of bronze ringlets, and Jake turned to us with a heavy sigh.

"What's up, Most High Alpha?" I asked. He flashed me a dirty look for my lame attempt at a joke.

"Outside. We've all gotta have a little talk," he said seriously as Seth joined our group. Embry and I exchanged quick, confused looks, but dutifully trailed after him out the door and down the porch steps. Jake headed towards the woods, and I wondered if he was going to make us all phase for this 'talk'. Just before he reached the trees, he halted and turned to face us.

"Okay, Jake, What's up? Another run-in with Sam and his Pack?" Embry asked quickly, almost eagerly. I clenched my teeth together silently at the slight throb in my chest at the mention of his name.

"No, nothing like that. It's just..." Jake trailed off, looked back up at the house with unseeing eyes. "My dad told me today that the elders are planning another bonfire night for the Pack. Well, both the Packs, really. They want us there, too. All the shifters and their imprints. Dad thinks it's so they can put the pressure on us to come back to La Push full-time. Guess what Quil told us about Sam catching some heat from them was true. Dad didn't say much about it, but it seems like he's been dealing with a lot of that himself."

"Stupid, interferring, old bastards," I muttered darkly. Seth and Embry nodded slightly in agreement.

"Not arguing with that. At any rate, I told Dad I'd be there, see if I can take some of the heat off of him at least, but I wasn't going to say anything for the rest of you," continued Jacob wearily.

"I'll go," Seth answered immediately. "The Pack bonfires were always a good time. And if it'll make things easier for your old man..."

"Once word gets around La Push about your mom marrying Charlie, some people might not be too friendly with you Clearwaters," Embry stated solemnly. Seth's face twisted up the same way my insides did.

"If someone's got a problem with my mom being happy, then they're gonna have to deal with me," I growled. Then, before I could stop and think too much about the consequences, I added, "I'm in, too, Jake."

Embry, Seth, and Jake all turned surprised, apprehensive, and concerned eyes on me. I could almost _hear _their thoughts, they were written so plainly on their faces. And I didn't _want _to hear them, because then I'd start thinking about it myself. Seeing Sam, and Emily, together... Defiantly, I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and lifted my chin haughtily.

"What? I'm not welcome there?" I demanded. All three of them shook their heads vehemently.

"That's not it at all, Leah. It's just... _everyone _will be there. All the Pack members, all the imprints..." explained Jacob cautiously. Good grief! Did they all really think I was that fragile? Although I suppose my past breakdowns weren't stellar evidence that I wasn't. But I could do this. I _could. _Maybe.

I snorted derisively to cover my growing embarrassment. "All the imprints, huh? Somehow I'd be willing to bet Nessie's not invited."

Jake shuffled his big feet and scowled. "That's... I wouldn't have brought her, anyway."

"Stupid, prejudiced, blind..." muttered Embry darkly, his voice trailing off into an unintelligable growl as he glanced in the direction of La Push.

"We all thought the same way they do not so long ago," I reminded him tightly. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're all going, right? As a Pack. Maybe we can get everyone in La Push to back off once they see we're not changing our minds on this."

"Doubt it'll work, but I guess it's worth a shot," Embry agreed, shrugging. "So when's this great bonfire happening?"

"Next weekend, on the beach. I'll tell Dad to let the council know we'll all be there. If you're _sure_ you wanna go." Jake directed the last bit at me, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Aren't you gonna be late for a tea party with your Barbies or something?" I shot at him. He rolled his eyes at me and headed back to the house, Seth on his heels. I heaved a heavy sigh and started to follow them, but Embry's big hand on my arm stopped me. The was a frown in his deep, chocolate brown eyes when I turned back to face him.

"You don't need to do this, B. Why go when you know it'll hurt?" he asked me seriously. My eyes slid away from his and I bit at my bottom lip with my teeth.

"You're the one who said I needed to get over him."

Embry's frown grew darker. "Well, yeah. But I didn't mean-"

"I can't hide away from anywhere I might run into Sam. Or Emily," I interrupted him quietly. "I can handle it, really I can. Besides, it won't be so bad if you're there to help me."

My admission of needing him around made a mortified blush creep up my cheeks, but it did wonders on Embry. His unhappy frown disappeared in a flash of teeth as he grinned broadly at me, his brown eyes twinkling.

"Of course I'll be there, B! As much as you need me," he replied cheerfully, slinging his arm over my shoulder and squeezing me playfully in a one-armed chokehold. "Tell you what, I'll even punch Sam for you if you need me to. You know- so you don't break your hand again."

"Well, it _is_ your turn to bust his nose," I muttered as we headed back towards the house. "Thanks, Tank. Really."

"Anything for my B-Wolf," he laughed as he swung the door open with a mock-salute. I wished we were somewhere a lot more private than the crowded Vamp's living room, because I really wanted to hug him hard enough to crack a rib. I wasn't going to deny that there was a part of me that was completely panicked over the thought of seeing Sam and Emily together at the bonfire, but just knowing I had my Tank to lean on dulled it into a mere anxious ache.

The excited buzz in the air pulled me out of my musings as Embry and I joined the group surrounding my mother and Charlie. I nearly laughed out loud at the poor man's expression; he was redder than a radish and seemed completely incapable of speech. My mom, on the other hand, looked tolerantly amused.

"So, what's this 'big news' you have to tell us?" Alice asked eagerly, bouncing just the tiniest bit on her toes. I could tell she was trying very hard to restrain herself for Charlie's sake. My mother looked through the small crowd directly at me and smiled a very tiny, but very happy, smile.

"Charlie and I have decided to get married," she announced quietly in her calm, no-nonsense voice, but her eyes twinkled merrily. Alice squealed and hugged Charlie fiercely.

"I knew it! Congratulations!"

Charlie looked about as uncomfortable as he could possibly get, and everyone laughed just a little. Bella took pity on her poor father and merely gave him a quick, one-armed hug while she whispered something in his ear. The room echoed with everyone's congratulations, and even Rosalie smiled a little bit. I hugged my mom and grinned at Charlie, surprised to realize how thrilled I actually was about the whole thing. Vamps for relatives. Who'd have imagined that?

"Now I can call you Uncle Seth!" Nessie squealed from Seth's arms as she hugged him tightly around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back before she leaned away from him to look cautiously at me.

"Can I call you Aunt Leah?" she asked me solemnly. I swallowed the instant rejection that rose to my tongue, forcing myself to really look into her big brown eyes. She was going to be my family now. It was time I accepted that.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess that'd be okay," I answered slowly. She beamed, and I fought a mini-battle with myself in the space of ten long seconds. Finally, hesitantly, I lifted up my arms and held them out to her. I don't think anyone in that room, human or otherwise, took a breath for the space of a heartbeat. Then Renesmee leaned across to me, and I pulled her into my arms.

She was heavier than I'd expected, and warmer. Her skin was satiny-smooth, but hard, and it was nearly as hot as my own. Much nicer than the icy cold I was expecting to feel. Her face glowed with surprised happiness, and I had to wrinkle up my nose in an effort not to beam too much of a sunshine smile back at her. Jake looked like he was about to burst with joy, and I swear Bella looked close to sentimental tears, if such a thing was possible for a leech. I turned and carried Nessie a little bit away from them, rolling my eyes in annoyance. For god's sake, I was just holding her! It wasn't like the eighth wonder of the world or anything.

Safely a few feet away from them, Nessie and I just looked at each other silently for a few minutes, getting to know each other in our own way. Slowly, she reached up and pressed her little fingers to my cheek, and this time I didn't gasp or jerk away. This time I concentrated on what she was trying to show me.

It was odd, and a little uncomfortable, to see myself from her memories. I was gaunt, disheveled, and angry-looking in her first memories, just few second snatches, really. I remembered how hard I'd worked to stay away from her in the beginning and grimaced a little. The images she was showing me switched abruptly, and now I saw myself smiling, no longer gaunt or bitter-looking, but happy and... pretty. Nessie drew her fingers away and patted my stunned cheek. Suddenly I understood exactly what she'd been trying to tell me.

"I'm glad I'm happier now, too, Nessie," I whispered to her, and she wrapped her arms around my neck to hug me tightly. Embry caught my eye from across the room and grinned as if to remind me that he'd told me she wasn't so bad not so very long ago. Childishly, I stuck my tongue out at him.

Alice's spiky black hair caught my eye, and suddenly I found myself contemplating the images Nessie had just been showing me. Sure, I'd come a long way in the looks department in the last two months or so, but I'd never gotten the chance to go get that decent haircut I'd promised myself. And next weekend, I was going to have to deal with holding the shreds of my heart together while I pretended to smile and be normal around Sam and Emily at the bonfire. Maybe it would help me get through it if I knew I was looking my best....

Without giving myself a chance to think about it logically or dwell on the sheer idiocity of what I was about to do, I gently set Nessie on her feet and slid unobtrusively across the room towards the deranged pixie. She turned towards me with a confused but friendly face as I reached her side.

"Hey, Alice. So... I was wondering...if, maybe, your haircut offer still stands?" I forced out awkwardly. She blinked at me, her mouth slightly open, and I hastily tried to backtrack gracefully. "But, you know, it's okay if it doesn't, I can always get it cut somewhere next week..."

"Are you serious? You'll let me do a make over on you?" she squealed suddenly, cutting me off. I raised my hands in alarm.

"Just a haircut. A _haircut_, not a make over!"

"Yeah, sure. That's what I meant. But you're serious?" she demanded again. I licked my lips nervously at the frighteningly excited gleam in her eyes.

"Uh, I guess so. But just a haircut. That's it!"

The words were barely out of my mouth before her icy, stone-like grip clamped down on my wrist and she was hauling up the stairs like a limp rag doll. I flashed a frightened, helpless look over at Embry, but Emmett already had him ensnared in his new video game. I doubt he even noticed me being abducted by the diminutive vamp.

Before I could catch my breath, dig my heels in, or fight back, Alice had pulled us into a large bathroom and shut the door with a decisive snap. I found myself firmly planted into a plush salon chair. surrounded by mirrors, lights, and more equipment than most ritzy spas would have.

"Now, then. Where to start?" Alice mused to herself, tapping her upper lip with one perfectly manicured nail. Her eyes had a terrifyingly determined glint in them as she looked me over from the tips of my short hair to the bottoms of my old sneakers. I broke out in a cold, nervous sweat.

Dear god, what had I just gotten myself into?


	11. Getting Shiny

**Getting Shiny  
**

**AN: **_Thank you SO much to everyone who's read this story so far!! I can't believe how many people are interested in this little drabble... it really makes me smile and inspires me to keep going!  
Also, enormous __**THANK YOU**__s to those of you who went the extra mile to review. I know I didn't get a chance to reply to each of you personally from last chapter, and I feel horrible about it. Good excuses: I was sick, sick baby, sick hubby, and traveling/vacationing. But I want you all to know how much I appreciate it, and I swear I'll reply to each of you this time. It helps more than you know to hear your comments, ideas, etc. So thank you, thank you, and thank you again!!!  
__**This chapter is dedicated to all of the reviewers- you know who you are!!!**_

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For someone so incredibly small and pixie-like, Alice Cullen was a frighteningly unstoppable force of nature. Now I understood why Bella turned white with terror at the mere mention of a make over. There were apparently very few boundaries Alice wasn't willing to cross when it came to getting her way; once my butt hit her salon chair, I became her personal, living, breathing Barbie doll.

So there I was, trapped for who knew how long with my hands and feet soaking away in bowls filled with some kind of bubble-covered liquid, and sticky green goop drying into a tight mask on my face. The cucumber slices covering my eyes kept wanting to slide off, and I had so much foil in my hair I would swear I could pick up the local Forks radio station. To make matters worse, Nessie sat on the floor watching the whole procedure with rapt attention while Rosalie perched on the counter and leafed through a fashion magazine in a bored, disinterested way. Like I _needed_ an audience for this.

"Since when does a haircut involve a manicure, a pedicure, a facial, and highlights?" I demanded again for probably the thirteenth time. And just like the previous twelve, this time had no effect on Alice, either.

"Don't move your mouth so much. You'll crack your mask!" she scolded me while she peeked at a chunk of my hair imprisoned in the tinfoil. "You can't deny you really needed this. You'll thank me when I'm done."

"But what the hell will highlights look like when I shift? I'm going to be a splotchy, freaky looking mess!" I moaned.

"Well, that's why I'm only doing light brown and auburn this time. After we see how it shifts, I can do fun colors like pink!"

"Oh, hell no! Wash that stuff out right now, Alice! I mean it!" I exclaimed, struggling to get up from the comfy, reclined chair. Small, icy cold hands held me firmly in place, and I found myself staring into narrowed, gold eyes as the cucumber slices slid off yet again.

"Don't make me call Jasper up here," she hissed at me, deadly serious. I slumped back into the chair in defeat, pouting as much as the tight, green goop on my face would let me.

"That's just cruel- threatening me with the Mojo Master," I muttered as she slapped the slimy slices back over my eyes again. Nessie stifled a giggle behind her hands as Rosalie flipped through the pages with her long, red nails and rolled her eyes.

"No crueler than... wait. Did you just call Jasper the _Mojo Master_?"

I muttered a non-committal answer, and Alice's tinkly, soprano laughter filled the room. Rosalie snorted- honestly, it was absurd how she could make even a sound like that come out sounding delicate and feminine- and the cucumbers slid off my face again to reveal her rolling her eyes with amusement.

"Don't call him that around Emmett. _Please_," she implored me. "We'd have to put up with his jokes about it for the next decade."

She flicked her long, perfectly curled, blond hair over her shoulder as she resumed paging through her magazine, and I had to bite back a grin at the way Nessie attempted to copy her movements. Guess she hadn't inherited her mother's lack of interest in fashion and feminine wiles.

"Here, you can wash the mask off your face now, and then we can rinse out your hair," Alice told me cheerfully as she handed me a steaming wash cloth. I took it and scrubbed at the green goo gratefully; my face had started to feel like it was shrink-wrapped.

"So, just my nails after that and I'll be done, right?" I asked hopefully as she began pulling out the foil in my hair.

"Oh, no. I'm going to wax your eyebrows, and let's see...Oh! I almost forgot about the exfoliating seaweed body wrap!"

I think my eyebrows shot clear off the top of my forehead and hit the ceiling at that. "_Seaweed body wrap? _Absolutely not. No way. You can dye my hair, you can paint my nails all colors of the rainbow, but I am _not _letting you wrap me up in stinking seaweed muck."

"Oh, c'mon. Please, Leah?" Alice pouted heavily. "I've been wanting to try that _forever_, and Bella would never agree to it! It's supposed to do amazing things for your skin!"

"Oh, so I'm going to be your beauty lab rat? No _way! _Have Nessie make Jake do it!" I argued angrily.

Rosalie gave that insanely delicate snort again. "I'd pay serious money to see that mutt forced into a seaweed wrap."

"Me, too, actually," I agreed. "Hey Nessie, go tell Jake-"

"NO!" Alice broke in loudly. "Nessie, if you stay right here, I promise I'll do your nails, okay? Any color you want."

Nessie contemplated her aunt's offer for a moment as I silently begged her with my eyes to help me out. She tapped her top lip in a perfect imitation of Alice and smiled.

"Designs, too?" she bargained.

"Whatever you want," Alice agreed quickly. Nessie arranged herself comfortably on the floor with a happy grin, obviously willing to take the deal.

"Traitor," I muttered, scowling. "But it doesn't matter anyway, 'cause I'm _not _doing it."

Alice raised one eyebrow at me mockingly. "Is that so? Oh, _Jaaaas_-"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it!" I cut her off quickly, flapping my hands wildly in pathetic defeat. There wasn't much I could do when she had the ultimate weapon attached to her with a wedding ring. She beamed at me as she bent my head over the sink and started rinsing out my short hair.

"This is so incredibly embarrassing," I moaned two hours later as I lay immobilized in my mummy-wrap of seaweed. I could feel Nessie poking at my thigh with a curious finger and silently cursed Alice with language that probably made Edward's ears burn wherever he was in the house.

"Just focus on how incredible you're going to look when it's all over," the deranged pixie instructed me cheerfully. She was positioned by my head, happily painting hot wax onto my eyebrows and ignoring my dark glare. At least Rosalie had disappeared a little while ago. Alice's icy fingers pressed strips of cloth into the wax, then, without warning, ripped them off with an almighty yank. I gave an involuntary yelp of pain.

"Jeez! Did you leave any skin behind?"

"Oh, quit being such a baby. Lots of people pay insane amounts of money for this, you know," she informed me with a grin. "Nessie, stop poking her leg. You're going to ruin your nails!"

"About that," said Bella suddenly as she walked into the room. "Did you really have to pick red, Ness?"

"It's pretty. Like Aunt Rose's nails," Nessie replied, admiring her glittering nails, adorned with little smiley faces and hearts. Bella just shook her head with amused exasperation, then turned to look my green-slime covered self. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Jeez, you're brave, Leah. I couldn't stand the thought of getting wrapped up in that stuff."

I shot a deadly, venomous glare at Alice. "Bravery didn't have anything to do with it..."

Rosalie sailed into the room then, her arms full of clothes. "Okay, Here's what I've found- something in here's got to work," she said to Alice as she dumped the pile onto the counter. The two of them started sifting through it, and I realized with horror that they were looking for an outfit to dress _me _in. God, would it never end?

I decided not to even bother arguing anymore when Alice finally freed me from my seaweed prison, since she'd just pull out her Jasper-card and trump me, anyway. And my skin _did _feel pretty amazing...

Alice wouldn't let me see myself at all while she styled my highlighted hair, applied my makeup, and put the finishing touches on my nails. I just went with the flow, relaxing into my unbelievably soft robe and eating the delicious food Esme thoughtfully brought up for me. After all, it wasn't like I got a free spa-day every week or anything.

"What about this one?" Rosalie kept asking, and then she and Alice would debate whatever it was behind me so that I couldn't even give my opinion. Bella was completely ignored whenever she ventured a suggestion, primarily because her suggestions were always something along the order of, 'how about a pair of jeans?'. Suddenly, Alice squealed with excitement.

"Oh! That one's perfect! Don't you think?" she asked Rosalie.

"Yeah, it could work," Rosalie mused thoughtfully. "But what about shoes?..."

"Those black Manolo's of yours. You know, the strappy ones you didn't like."

"Perfect!"

"_Manolo's? _You guys are crazy!" I shrieked, attempting to swivel around in my chair to argue. Unfortunately, Rosalie was already gone. Bella gave me a small, sympathetic grimace as Alice broke into a huge, triumphant grin. She thrust an armful of dark red, silky material at me gleefully.

"Put this on. And no peeking until I tell you, okay?"

"What is it?" I asked dubiously as she pushed the fabric into my hands and shoved me into her dressing room. Alice's lack of reply as she shut the door seemed ominous, and I shook out the red silk in my hands tentatively.

"A _dress?_ I don't wear dresses!" I wailed plaintively. "Especially not ones like this. Alice! Let Bella pick my outfit!"

Alice's pixie-like face poked around the door, twisted into the most pained grimace I'd ever seen. "Let _Bella_ pick your clothes? Are you insane? Have you _seen_ the things she wears? She'd dress you in a pair of jeans that made your butt look bad and a frumpy, old t-shirt!"

"Hey!" Bella exclaimed indignantly from the other room. Both of us ignored her.

"That'd be better than this. What _is _this?" I muttered, holding the dress out at arms length and scowling at it.

"_That _is a one-of-a-kind Georgio Armani, and you are going to look fabulous in it, so shut up and _put it on_," she hissed, then yanked her head back and slammed the door.

For a long time, I just stood there, staring at the red material dangling from my hands. Honestly, I felt a little bit like crying from embarrassment. I had no doubts Alice was going to parade me around in that thing, and when my Pack saw me in that.... when _Embry _saw me in that... I mean, the dress was made for someone like Rosalie, someone catwalk-ready, and I was just going to look awkward and pathetic. The boys would _never _let me live it down.

Slowly, I dragged the luxurious material on and smoothed it down over my skin. The plunging neckline showed a hell of a lot more cleavage than I was comfortable with, and the slit on the right side of the fitted skirt went almost all the way up my thigh. I was sure I looked like a prostitute, and a cheap one at that.

Sighing, unable to prolong the inevitable any longer, I flung the door open and marched out of the dressing room with my head held high. The burning, mortified blush on my face felt like it mirrored the deep red of my dress. Hopefully one of them would have enough sense- or pity- to let me change into something else.

"Oh, wow," breathed Bella, as she and Nessie gaped at me with open mouths. My blush intensified, and I wondered if my head was about to pop off from the blood rush. Rosalie breezed in, a pair of strappy, stiletto heels dangling from her fingers that she held out to me.

"Put them on, put them on!" Alice commanded excitedly, and I reluctantly complied. It took me a few minutes to figure out the intricate straps before I could stand back up, teetering precariously on the slim, four-inch heels. Now I absolutely towered over the tiny pixie-vamp, but that didn't dim the beaming smile on her face one bit.

"Perfect! Doesn't she look just amazing?" she demanded happily. Nessie and Bella nodded with awe-struck faces, but Rosalie just shrugged.

"That dress looks better on her than it did on me. Shoes, too," she conceded.

"Am I ever going to get to see?" I whined, shifting uncomfortably under all their unwavering stares. Alice grabbed my arm and led me over to a huge three-way mirror as quickly as my ridiculous shoes and the tight skirt would let me go.

"Ta da!" she exclaimed as she waved her arms like a game-show host presenting the prize. For a while, I couldn't find anything to say. I just gaped at myself like a brainless idiot, twisting this way and that to get a look from every angle.

It just wasn't _possible. _The girl in the mirror was undeniably me, but I hadn't look like that in... wait- I'd _never _looked this good. My hair was short, but stylishly spikey, and the colors Alice had put in added a whole new dimension to it. My makeup was deceptively minimal, just enough to bring out my best features and the hidden hazel glints in my eyes. And the _dress. _For all my insecurities, I most definitely did _not_ look like a cheap prostitute. It hugged my figure smoothly, highlighting my curves perfectly, as if it had been made for me. The halter strap around my neck showed off my shoulders beautifully, and the plunging neckline and high slit that I'd been so uncomfortable with somehow managed to look classy instead of trashy. Unbelievable.

"So, what do you think?" asked Alice, a hint of anxiety in her pretty voice. I tilted my head to the side, considering myself critically.

"I think... you may be a miracle worker," I told her seriously. Her face lit up like a thousand Christmas lights, and I gave a small shrug. "Or maybe it's the dress. I'm not sure."

"You like it! You like it! I told you you'd like it!" she cheered triumphantly. I had to laugh a little at her enthusiasm, but then sobered up as I looked at my reflection again.

"Yeah, I like it. Too bad I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go, huh?"

Bella nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what _I _say. Forks isn't any sort of high fashion. And I just feel silly dressing like that here at home."

Alice tapped her finger on her top lip thoughtfully, her face scrunched up in concentration. Rosalie picked up her magazine again, looking disinterested, as I stared critically at my reflection. Suddenly, Alice's face brightened as an elated smile bloomed across her face.

"That's it! We'll have a girl's night out!" she exclaimed.

"Where? The diner?" snorted Bella laughingly. Rosalie smirked a little behind her magazine as I bit my lips to hide a smile.

"No! Seattle!" Alice insisted, hands on her hips. "Here's the plan: we all get dressed up like Leah, drive to Seattle and go clubbing all night! We need to do some sisterly bonding now that Leah's joining the family!"

Bella looked slightly horrified at the idea, and my expression wasn't all that far behind. Luckily for me, I remembered one tiny detail that would put the brakes on the whole thing.

"Yeah, well, as fun as that sounds, Bella and I aren't twenty-one yet. They won't let us in," I said with a grin. The immensely relieved look on Bella's face faded at the unperturbed smile on Alice's.

"No problem. We won't even need ID's if Rosalie's along," she announced confidantly. "You'll come, won't you, Rose?"

Rosalie made a small show of flinging her magazine down with a long-suffering sigh, but there was an undeniable glint of excitement hidden in her beautiful eyes. "I suppose I could... we haven't had a girl's night in a long time," she replied.

"Yay! Thanks, Rose!" Alice cheered, throwing her arms around her statuesque sister. "Okay, Bella, go to your cottage and- uh, nevermind. Wait here, and I'll go get something for you to wear."

She and Rosalie breezed swiftly out of the room, leaving Bella and I to stare at each other helplessly over Nessie's head.

"She's going to force me to go, isn't she?" I murmured despairingly. "Sisterly bonding. With vamps."

Bella looked like she was going to be sick. "Dear god, she's going to make me dance."

"Why sisterly bonding? I'm not going to be _her _sister!"

"She's going to make me dance _in heels_."

Nessie stood between us, her bronze ringlets flying as she tried to follow our separate rants of despair. Alice flew back into the room, flung an armful of clothing at Bella, and pushed her into the dressing room with all the speed and force of a hurricane. She disappeared into her ludicrously immense closet and emerged less than five minutes later wearing a vibrantly yellow dress that would have looked absolutely ridiculous on anyone else.

"Bella, quit stalling and get out here. We need to leave!" Alice called through the door to the dressing room. I heard a few indistinctly muttered insults before the door flew open and Bella stalked out.

"Seriously, Alice. Why did you even _buy _this for me?" she complained loudly.

"You look beautiful, Mama!" Nessie exclaimed, clapping her hands, and Bella's complaining abruptly stopped as she smiled at her daughter. It was true, too. The ice-blue dress with high-heeled, silver stilettos looked fantastic on her. It helped that her eyes were now the same topaz as the rest of the Cullens instead of that freaky scarlet.

"Hurry up, Rose! We're ready!" Alice called as she herded us out the door and down the stairs. I dragged my feet as much as I could in those killer heels as we headed downstairs, praying with every fiber of my soul that the Pack wouldn't be around.

No such luck. Seth, Jake, and Embry were all in front of the TV, avidly playing some video game with Emmett. Edward and Jasper hovered nearby, and they broke off their conversation to look up at us. I could feel my face starting to burn with mortified trepidation as Nessie streaked down the stairs ahead of us to launch herself onto Jake. I reached the bottom of the stairs just as he looked over at me.

"Leah! Is that you?" he asked with mock surprise, but the shocked look on his face made me wonder just how much he was joking. I froze in place and pasted a nervous smile on my lips as Embry twisted around to look at me.

"Whoa..." he breathed, a wide-eyed, dumbfounded look on his face as he stared at me. I shifted and tugged at the hem of my dress a little under his gaze, but he kept staring, his mouth hanging slightly open as he blinked a few times.

"_Dude! That's my sister!" _Seth hissed under his breath as he nudged him sharply. He gave me a huge grin while Embry shook his head a little and closed his mouth. "Looking good, big sis! What's the occasion?"

"She's going out with Mama and Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose. They're going dancing in Seattle!" Nessie told him brightly.

"What?" asked Emmett, startled out of his game play by her announcement. Beside me, Alice was grinning her head off while Bella looked like she was about to attend a dear friend's funeral.

"Jasper and I agree that you should take one of us with you," Edward informed us quietly. Suddenly, their intense, quiet conversation made a lot more sense. Little Alice swelled dangerously at that, and I could see the beginnings of mutiny on even Bella's face.

"What for? Protection? We all know perfectly well that almost nothing could hurt us. I'm not a fragile human anymore, Edward," she stated in a deadly calm voice that spoke volumes about her irritation.

"Besides, there'll be four of us together. I think we can manage to stay out of trouble," Alice added with a tinge of sarcasm. "And don't even think about making us calm and compliant, Jasper Whitlock!"

Jasper frowned. "But you won't be able to have any visions while you're out..."

I didn't miss the sidelong glance that he gave me and had to resist the childish urge to stick my tongue out at him. Next to me, Bella and Edward argued in low, quick murmurs as Alice launched into a long, angry rant focused mostly on Jasper. I had the distinct feeling that she was going to get her way in the end, so I quietly slipped away towards the couch.

"Hey, lil' sister. You're looking very girly tonight," said Emmett cheerfully, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Never thought I'd see you in a skirt."

"Watch it, buddy. I think these heels could do some damage. Leech skin or not," I replied with narrowed eyes. He laughed, but his attention was caught by Rosalie coming down the stairs toward us.

"There's my girl," he exclaimed as he bounded to his feet. He meet her on the last step, and I rolled my eyes at the look of possessive admiration on his face. Not that I could blame him. Rosalie, in her deceptively simple and tastefully revealing white sheath dress, was simply the most devastatingly beautiful thing in the known universe.

I heaved a giant sigh and muttered under my breath. "Why do any of us even bother?"

"Huh?" Embry grunted, still giving me that weird, blank stare. I frowned at him and gestured over my shoulder at Emmett and Rosalie.

"_Rosalie_. There's no point trying to look good when _she's _around," I explained patiently. His expression didn't waver from the befuddled, vacant look he'd been giving me since I came downstairs, and it was really starting to get on my nerves.

"What's _with_ you, Tank?" I demanded, hands on my hips.

"What?" he asked blankly. Seth elbowed him sharply again, and I leaned over the couch and plucked the video game controller out of his hands.

"That's it. No more games for you tonight," I told him severely. "Your brain's totally fried."

His entire face turned a magnificent shade of red as his mouth worked like a gasping fish out of water for a few moments. He didn't make a sound, but his eyes darted everywhere except at me awkwardly. I was about to smack him upside the head and demand to know exactly what was wrong with him when I realized just how much cleavage I'd inadvertently shoved in his face when I'd leaned over the couch like that. Oops.

But seriously, did he have to act like it was the most horrific thing that had ever happened to him? Was the undeniable evidence that I was a girl that abhorrent? I scowled a little at him when Seth nudged him in the ribs for the third time, hard enough to leave a bruise.

"So, you're going to Seattle? Mom won't like that very much when she finds out," he told me seriously. Alice was suddenly at my side, glaring menacingly at my Pack mates on the couch.

"Then she's not _going _to find out, because none of you would be stupid enough to tell her. Right?" she replied, and all three of the boys nodded under her deadly glare. "Good. Okay, Leah. Let's go!"

She grabbed my arm and hauled me swiftly out of the house, Rosalie and Bella trailing. I just managed to catch Embry's confused voice before the door shut behind us.

"Wait... Leah's going somewhere?"

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**AN: **_Sorry- I was planning on having the whole "Girls Night Out" in this chapter, too, but I think that would have made it ridiculously long. Plus, I really wanted to post something tonight, since I never got a chance to respond to all my reviewers. Hope you liked this chapter- next one should be interesting..._


	12. Girls Night Out!

**Girls Night Out!**

**AN: **_Wow! Thanks, everybody, for the positive comments about Alice's make over! Now, I just hope this chapter can live up to everyone's expectations... It's long... very long. And lots of things happen, so I hope you stick it out to the end. Please let me know what you think!!! I'm trying harder to post more often, honestly I am! Remember- reviews inspire me and spur me on to write the next chapter...._

_**Thanks to everyone for reading/reviewing! LOVE you, people!!**_

_**

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**_

"I'm driving," Rosalie announced as we hustled into the Cullen's enormous garage. She flashed a set of car keys and headed to the bright red convertible gleaming dully in the dim light as Alice shrugged happily.

"Fine by me. Us short girls get the backseat, Bella," she said, taking Bella's arm and jumping in. Not seeing any way out, and not really trying to find one, either, I climbed into the front passanger seat and put my seatbelt on firmly.

Rosalie laughed. "Oh, come on, Leah. You've got that little trust in me? I'm not going to crash my baby!"

"I'm not worried about you crashing. I just don't want to go flying out if you make any sudden stops," I informed her seriously. "I'm more breakable than any of you, remember?"

"That's true. Safety first!" Bella agreed, always the cop's daughter, as Rosalie whipped the car out of the garage and stomped the gas pedal to the floor. "So, how long is this four hour trip going to take us, anyway?"

"I think I can shave it down to an hour or so, give or take," Rose answered confidently. "Damn. Should've put the top up. My hair's going to be a mess by the time we get there..."

Alice pulled out her iPod and searched it with a look of intense concentration as the wind whipped around us. Being as it was the middle of April, at night, and none of us were wearing all that much for clothing, we all should have been turning into little blue popsicles in designer dresses. As it was, with their temps hovering below freezing and mine hotter than an oven, the breeze merely felt refreshing.

"Clear roads from here to Seattle," Alice piped up suddenly as she leaned over the seat to attach her iPod to the console. "This one's for you, Leah!"

I rolled my eyes as the music blasted through the speakers, grinning in spite of myself. "Nice. Thanks, Alice."

_All the single ladies! Now put your hands up!  
Up in the club, we just broke up  
I'm doing my own little thing..._

Alice just laughed and started dancing in the backseat, much to Bella's horror. Vampire or not, she still freaked out about the pixie standing up and bouncing around in a vehicle doing well over 100. Surprisingly, Rose started dancing in her seat, too, singing along although she kept one hand on the wheel. After a moment or two, I shrugged my shoulders and joined in. What the hell, right? Alice cheered and gave me a high five before cranking the bass as far as it would go.

Rose took us on side roads to avoid going through Forks, which occasionally had us skirting the border between Cullen land and La Push. Which may have been why the strong scent of wolf didn't alert me to anything strange until I saw several enormous, shaggy shadows racing through the trees on either side of us.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed, abruptly stopping dancing to squint into the darkness. My seatbelt locked up as Rose stomped hard on the brakes, the tires squealing and smoking as we skidded to a halt.

"_Now _do you see why I'm wearing my seatbelt?" I asked her sarcastically, ruefully looking at the already-fading red marks the belt had left on my collarbone. Rose stared ahead with a dark glower on her beautiful face and didn't answer me.

The convertible's headlights illuminated a huge, hulking form of a man about twenty feet in front of us, and as we watched, four massive wolves detached themselves from the darkness to flank him, effectively blocking the road.

"_Sam_," I hissed out his name like a curse under my breath. Rosalie revved the engine roughly.

"Want me to run him over?" she offered, just loud enough for me to catch under the blaring music.

"Not yet, but thanks," I replied, quickly undoing my seatbelt and standing up to glare over the windshield at him. "What the hell do you want, Sam? Get out of the damn road- we're not going over the border!"

I reflected that my mother would've washed my mouth out with soap if she'd heard me, but I really didn't care. How was it that I went for over two months without seeing him at all, and now he kept popping up at all the _worst _times? I hadn't given him much thought at all today, and now here he was, crooked nose and everything, gaping at me like he'd never seen a woman before. My stomach suddenly twisted up so violently I felt like I was going to vomit.

_'Cause you had your turn, and now you gonna learn  
What it really feels like to miss me  
'Cause if you liked it, then you should've put a ring on it..._

Face flaming, I quickly reached down and switched the music off. Alice snickered in the seat behind me, and I shot her a dirty look over my shoulder.

"_Leah?_ Is that... _what the hell are you doing?_" Sam suddenly exclaimed, his face unnaturally pale under his tanned skin. All the wolves stared at me with incredulous expressions, and I had the overwhelming sensation that I'd just been caught doing something horrific. And that pissed me off. Enormously.

"None of your damn business! What the hell are _you _doing, standing in the middle of the road like an idiot?"

"_Get out of that car!" _Sam roared, and I was momentarily startled by the frantic fury in his voice.

"No. Why should I?" I spat back, fingers gripping the top of the windshield so hard it creaked under the pressure.

"Get. Out. Of. That. Car. Dammit, Leah! Don't make me-"

"Don't make you what, dog?" Rosalie snarled, revving the engine again.

"Maybe you _should_ get out and show him that slit in your skirt," Alice snickered evilly, and I wanted to smack her with one of my killer stilettos. This was _so _not amusing. Not even in the slightest.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Sam. What's your Pack doing over the border in wolf form? Or do I need to get Jake out here?" I demanded again. Sam glared at me, his whole body trembling, and I fought down a wild sense of panic. What the hell _were _they doing over the border like this? It couldn't possibly be some kind of attack on the Cullens, could it?

Sam looked like he was in danger of exploding out of his skin at any second. "Jake knows? Jacob Black _knows _your in that car with... with..."

"With her _sisters_," Bella finished coldly for him, and for once I didn't feel like grimacing at the very thought. Sam did, though. His face looked like he'd just taken a bite of rotten meat, and one of the wolves flanking him actually gagged.

"Sisters? You can't be serious, Leah. That's taking things too far-" he began furiously.

"I'd watch what you're saying, dog," Rosalie cut him off in an deadly voice that dripped acid ice off every word.

"Sam, I'm not asking again. You'd better have a damn good reason for stopping this car. Because right now it's looking like a pretty aggressive move," I snapped out. That worry, that _what if the Pack was attacking_, was clawing frantically at my insides now, making me tremble. I had to keep focused to keep from shifting right then and howling for _my _Pack.

Maybe Sam picked up on that, or maybe it was the car full of violently angry vampires staring him down. Whatever the reason, I saw him take several deep breaths to calm his trembling, although his hands stayed clenched into white-knuckled fists.

"We picked up a bloodsucker sent this afternoon on the rez-"

"It wasn't any of us," Bella broke in quickly, defiantly. The big wolf by Sam's right shoulder- Paul- snorted in annoyance. Sam silenced him with a curt wave of his hand.

"No. We know that. This one smells different. Worse, if that's even possible," he told us with a grimace, and Rosalie snarled at him. He ignored her and continued. "Picked up the scent on the beach first and played cat and mouse with him all day. We finally tracked him out here, and now we're running the border to make sure the leech doesn't try to sneak back in."

"That still doesn't explain why you stopped us, dog," Rose hissed aggressively, and the wolves flanking Sam growled low in their chests. I trembled again, ready to burst into my wolf form if any of them took so much as a step towards our car. Not that that would do a whole hell of a lot of good.

"We stopped you for information," Sam bit back, and I noticed he didn't bother to quiet the growls behind him. "Is this bloodsucker a friend of yours? Or is it somebody else that's trying to kill one of you?"

His eyes flickered to Bella momentarily with that last sarcastic taunt, and the hiss she gave him was pure venom. I had to fight a smile, despite the situation.

"C'mon, Bella. How many people have you had trying to kill you? Besides the whole newborn army, even," I couldn't resist muttering to her. Rose snickered, and Bella gave me an exasperated glare.

"Oh, thanks, Leah. Like I needed to be reminded."

"It's nobody we know," Alice suddenly piped up, breaking out of the semi-trance she'd been under while searching for the trespassing leech.

"You're sure?" Sam demanded, and she gave him an annoyed glare.

"Of course I'm sure. And he's not looking to have anything to do with my family, either. _Any_ of them," she added pointedly, laying a hand on my arm for emphasis. Two of the wolves snarled, and a tremble ran through Sam's body again. I lifted my chin haughtily, daring him to say one word about it.

"It looks like he's just passing through. I think he'll be out of the area before dawn," Alice assured the Pack confidently.

"That's good to hear. Thanks for the information," Sam replied tersely. I steeled myself to glare back at him as his dark gaze pinned me. "Still, it would be safer if you went back home."

I knew, from the way he said 'home', that he really meant 'home in La Push', and my blood boiled again.

"Oh, like you should be telling me what's safe. You're running around outside the border looking for some vampire that you don't know anything about! How safe is _that_?"

"Safer than riding around in a car with three bloodsuckers and another one god knows where!" he bellowed at me. The angry hisses filling the car around me almost drowned out the growls from the Pack, and Sam passed a shaking hand over his face to calm himself down.

"Please, Lee. Just... get out of the car. Come home. Please."

Oh, god. My knees trembled at the raw emotion in his voice, and I very nearly did what he asked. Three pairs of amber eyes watched me; Rosalie's angry and hooded, Bella's anxious and unhappy, and Alice's sad and disappointed.

"But what about Seattle? Sisterly bonding?" she murmured softly to me. "We're all dressed up..."

I stifled a laugh, thinking only Alice would get so upset over being dressed up for nothing, and rolled my eyes. To hell with Sam and his stupid prejudices! Suddenly, I felt liberated. Free. Sam could get down on his knees and beg me right now, and I _still _wouldn't get out of that car.

"How could I walk out on _that_? Even if it means risking my life with vampires," I asked with a sarcastic grin. Rose smiled hugely, her white teeth glittering in the dim light, and revved the engine again.

"If that's all you've got, dog, I'd appreciate it if you got out of the road," she called to Sam, an edge of ice on her cheerful voice.

"Seattle. You're still going to Seattle when you know there's a strange bloodsucker on the loose?" Sam asked dully, a hint of incredulous annoyance coloring his words.

"He's not heading towards Seattle," Alice informed him seriously. "Besides, it's not like there aren't any other vampires in the city, anyway. There's always one or two roaming around."

Sam paled, squeezing his eyes shut. "Don't do this, Leah. Please."

I stared at him emotionlessly for a long moment. "I'm not weak and helpless, Sam. I'm not Emily," I finally stated coldly, before sitting down and firmly buckling my seatbelt. "I'd move, if I were you. Unless you want to get run over. Let's get moving, Rose."

"With pleasure," she returned with grim cheerfulness, and she stomped down hard on the gas. Tires squealing, we shot past the Pack as they dove out of the way. Glancing in the rearview mirror, I just caught Sam's massive form exploding, shreds of clothes floating in the air as he darted away into the trees.

"You okay, Leah?" Bella asked carefully. I was silent for a moment, analyzing.

My insides felt like jello, and a part of me felt like wailing and running through the trees after him. _My Sam_. But the other part of me, a bigger part, felt so incredibly _light_, that I wanted to bounce up and down in my seat and sing. I wanted to call Embry and tell him that I'd finally done it! That I'd looked Sam in the eye, and walked away from it in one piece.

"I'm fine. Really and truly, I'm fine," I answered my almost-step-sister with a shaky laugh.

"Good. That dog's not worth it," Rose bit out, giving me a hard, critical glare. "You should be grateful he didn't imprint on you. Bastard seems like an overprotective control freak."

I started to protest automatically, then snapped my mouth shut, thinking. Rose was _right_. Even before this whole mess, when we were just dating, he'd always wanted to know where I was, what I was doing, everything. I never minded it, because he was so sweet about it, and he'd always only wanted to protect me. But now, I could see how that tendency could've peaked to an overbearing level, given his Alpha characteristics.

"Poor Emily," I agreed, and for once, I actually meant it whole-heartedly. Still, it couldn't stop that awful, altogether too familiar ache of longing from stabbing through my chest. Sometimes, when you have nothing, even knowing it's no better on the other side doesn't make it easier.

"Shouldn't we call home? Let them know about this other vampire?" Bella asked in a timid, concerned voice. I was grateful to her for the topic change, but Rose and Alice groaned in unison.

"Are you kidding? They'd demand that we turn around this instant and get back to the house so they could 'protect us'," Alice told her.

"As if we _need _their protection," Rose muttered with annoyance. "They'd treat us like some helpless victorian ladies and lock us in our rooms while they strutted around preening their egos."

"So... not really any different than Sam, then," I stated, arching my eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes, but gave me an amused grin.

"Men. They're all alike in some ways," she agreed.

"But still. Shouldn't we..." Bella interjected hesitantly, but Alice cut her off.

"NO! For goodness sake, Bella. We'll be perfectly safe. I told you he's not interested in us, and how could one vampire be a match for the three of us and Leah?"

Bella frowned and sunk down into her seat. "You're right. It's just..."

"Edward's got you trained," Rose finished for her, and we all laughed. Well, all of us except for Bella.

"Listen, Edward's got to learn sooner or later that you're not a fragile human anymore. That's what you were arguing with him about, wasn't it?" said Alice distractedly as she fiddled with her iPod again. "Stupid dogs ruined the mood..." she muttered darkly to herself.

I couldn't have agreed more. I still had to clench my hands into fists to keep them from shaking, and my stomach was still twisted up so much it was hard to breathe. On the plus side, I didn't feel like I was going to fall to pieces and burst into tears. Why, why, _why _did Sam have to show up and ruin everything again?

"Do you want to go back to the house, Leah? I'll turn around if you want me to," Rosalie suddenly asked me in a low voice, shocking me straight down to my Manolo clad feet.

"No. No, I wanna go. I mean, we're all dressed up anyway," I replied after a moment's serious thought. "Besides, that'd kinda defeat the point of standing up to Sam."

"Absolutely," Rose agreed. Alice hugged me (and the top of my seat) from the backseat with a happy squeal.

"Oh, Leah! That was so awesome! And his _face! _Like he thought we were going to eat you!"

Rose wrinkled up her nose in disgust. "Stupid mutt. I think he might be even more braindead than Jacob, and that's really saying something. Is mental deficiency a requirement for the Alpha gene?"

Bella gave a half-hearted protest on Jake's behalf, but I just laughed. The knots in my stomach eased up and my trembling slowed under their girl-support and general male-bashing. Maybe that had been part of what I'd been missing. When everything had fallen apart, my closest friend, Emily, had been the reason, and I hadn't had a girlfriend to bring Sam down and bring me _up. _Now, I could sit back and listen while they told me how I was better off without him, how I needed to forget him and have fun, and I could actually _believe _them.

Alice was dancing to the music again, and I reached down to crank it up even farther.

_Guess what? I'm having more fun!__  
And now that we're done-  
I'm gonna show you tonight_

I shouted along to the lyrics like a madwoman with a huge grin stretching my face from ear to ear as Bella and Rosalie joined in.

_I'm alright  
I'm just fine  
And you're a tool  
So...  
So what? I am a rock star  
I've got my rock moves  
And I don't want you tonight!_

Talk about girl therapy! It couldn't get any better than that. It felt like such a release to scream those stupid lyrics into the wind, like I was finally blowing out all my years of pent-up bitterness and anger into the night speeding past us. My throat was raw by the time the song finished, but I felt _happy. _Alice high-fived me before diving back to the iPod to find a new song, and suddenly I realized that it no longer mattered to me that I was a shape-shifting freak in a car with three bloodsucking vampires. We were just four girls hell-bent on having a good time without any stinky boys around to complicate things.

"Okay, girls. Truth time. Worst pick-up line," Alice chirped, bouncing with excitement. Rosalie rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Jeez, Alice. What did you do, read a book on 'sisterly bonding games'?"

The pixie gave her a dirty glare. "Fine. I'll go first. Um... well, once when I was shopping, this creepy old guy walked up to me and said, 'Girl, you smell like Fritos. That's why I'm giving you this hungry stare.'"

"Ugh. Gross, what'd you say back?" I asked.

"Well, nothing, because Jasper made him so scared he wet his pants before I could say anything."

"Oh, yeah! I remember that. Carlisle was _so _angry at him!" Rose giggled.

"Your turn, Leah!" Alice chirped, and I bit my lip thinking.

"Um, 'Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!'"

"Nice! How about you, Bella?" Alice asked, turning to grin expectantly at Bella's blank face.

"Uh, I don't really have any. I mean, nobody's ever really hit on me but Edward. And he didn't really hit on me. Not like that, anyway," she muttered uncomfortably.

"Okaaaaay. So pick something he said to you when you were first getting together!" Alice demanded. I turned in my seat to stare at her with raised eyebrows, and even Rose watched her with an expectant smirk.

Bella sank down as far as she could go in her seat. "Uh... well, once he said, 'So the lion fell in love with the lamb'. Or something like that."

Rose and I doubled over giggling, and Alice actually fell off her seat with laughter. Bella looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment.

"Oh my god. He actually _said _that? And you still fell in love with him?" Alice shrieked. I was laughing too hard to say anything.

"I knew he'd be pathetic at talking to a girl, but come on! That's horrible," Rose gasped out. "Oh, Emmett's never going to let him live that down. _Lion_. Oh, god!"

"How did you not laugh in his face, Bella? I mean, what do you even say to that?" I managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"It was a pretty serious moment at the time... It wasn't funny then!" she defended vehemently.

Alice patted her soothingly on the arm. "I'm sure it was, Edward being who he is. Rose, what's your best one? You've got to have a ton of these!"

"Hmm," Rose tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "I guess I'll have to go with the time this geeky computer guy came up to me and said, 'Hey, baby, how about the two of us get together at my place and do some math? We'll add you and me, subtract our clothes, divide your legs, and multiply'."

"Seriously? You've got to give the guy some points for creativity," I replied, laughing. "What'd you tell him?"

"Well, _Emmett _told him he'd love to do some math subtracting his arms and adding a boot up his ass."

I giggled, easily picturing a grinning Emmett scaring some poor guy half to death for hitting on his Rosalie.

Alice's questions didn't stop there. She grilled us on our first dates, worst kisses (which meant I _finally _discovered how Bella knew something about punching people), and on and on. Needless to say, I found out _a lot _of things about Jasper and Edward that I never really wanted to know, being as Alice and Bella's answers almost always involved them. I couldn't help giving an evil smirk when I realized just how uncomfortable I could make dear Eddie-kins thinking about some of this stuff around him. It would be even better than '_Henry the Eighth'_!

The club Rosalie pulled up in front of in Seattle was definitely one of the places I'd never imagined I'd see the inside. There was a line of people stretching down the sidewalk, and the thought of standing outside in my killer heels for who knew how long did not excite me.

"Can't we go somewhere else?" I asked, looking at the line with disgust as Rosalie stopped the car at the door.

"No. This is the best place in Seattle, and I'm not going to sit around in some seedy club just anyone can get into," Rose replied. She ran her hands through her windswept hair, rearraging it back into it's perfect cascade of curls, and Alice reached around my seat to fix a few wayward spikes on top of my head as well.

"Don't worry about it, Leah. There's no way the bouncers'll make us wait in line," she told me confidently, and Bella and I exchanged doubtful glances. My skirt stretched as I got out, giving the waiting bouncers and valets a good eyeful of my thigh through the slit. The way their faces lit up made me think Alice might be right about not having to wait.

Rosalie tossed the keys casually to a dumbstruck valet and sauntered around the car to join us. She quirked her eyebrows at the bouncers, and the two beefy men nearly fell over themselves opening the door and ushering us inside.

"You beauties have any trouble, you just let me know," the bigger one told us gruffly with a meaningful smile, ignoring the protesting groans of the line of people outside. Rose favored him with a glorious smile before the door shut on him, and we ventured into the plush club.

Looks really could get you some things, like a luxurious, semi-private alcove next to the dance floor and instant service. I settled myself comfortably on the sofa as a server approached us. Why didn't it surprise me that we'd gotten a man instead of one of the plethora of women in revealing outfits serving our drinks? He introduced himself as Dan and started out with the usual polite banter.

"Anything special I can offer you ladies to start out the night?" he asked in a deep, seductive voice. I exchanged a semi-amused glance with Rosalie at the way his gaze lingered hungrily on our exposed skin. To be fair, he was pretty gorgeous- in a normal human sort of way- but it was completely impossible for him to compare to the unearthly good looks of the Cullen boys. Or the rugged, hulking handsomeness of the Pack boys.

"How about Bloody Marys all around?" I piped up when none of the other girls said anything. Bella stifled a giggle behind her hands, and I smiled innocently at him.

"Anything for you ladies," Dan returned, and he actually winked at me before striding away.

Rosalie pursed her lips together to keep from smiling. "Bloody Marys? Honestly."

"I bet we get them for free," Alice chirped happily. She swayed in her seat to the heavy techno beat pounding through the air around us before jumping up and grabbing Bella's hand.

"C'mon Bella, time to show off your new coordination..."

Bella's half-hearted protests were drowned out by the music as Alice dragged her off onto the dance floor. Rosalie and I watched in amusement as she stood awkwardly while Alice swirled and dipped around her.

"She's been a vampire for months, and she's still afraid she's going to trip," Rose snorted with indulgent exasperation. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes pierced me, and her expression grew thoughtful.

"You know, Leah, I heard about what you told Jake. When Bella was pregnant," she clarified at my confused expression. "How you stood up for me and said you could understand my position."

I shifted uncomfortably and grimaced. "Let me guess. Edward and his big mouth again, right?"

"Yeah. Nosy jerk, I know," she replied. "Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate it. It's... nice to know not _everybody _thought I was being a heartless, selfish bitch at the time."

"Emmett didn't. Esme, either," I muttered, completely embarrassed and astonished. Rosalie gave a noncommittal shrug, and the next question tumbled past my lips before I could stop it.

"Would you really give it all up, just to be human again?"

Rose looked away from me and watched Bella and Alice dancing with vacant eyes. She was silent for so long, I began to assume she just wasn't going to answer me. I wouldn't have blamed her if she hadn't, either.

"No," she finally whispered. "No, I wouldn't. I used to think I would, but then I thought about it, really thought about it, and realized that the only way I'd truly want to do that is if Emmett was human with me. I can't even imagine being without him, or... or having someone else's children. And I wouldn't _want_ to."

I nodded in understanding, and she continued.

"I figure it's about time I stop wishing for what might have been all those years ago, if I'd been smarter, and started realizing what I have in the here and now. Some things I don't have, some things I can't have, but some of the things I _do _have more than make up for it. If I'd never become a vampire, I would have never met Emmett. And I think, no matter who I would've ended up with as a human, I could never have belonged with him the way I do with Emmett. Some people seem to get everything they want out of life," both of us glanced at Bella at that, "but I'm not one of them. So I'm going to try to do what you're doing and... get over it."

As I sat there, silently astonished, Dan reappeared with our drinks.

"Here you are. On the house," he said, and my sensitive hearing picked up on the fact that he was attempting to make his voice as low and seductive as possible. His eyes lingered on the plunging neckline of my dress as I thanked him, and Rose hid a snicker behind her perfectly manicured nails.

"Looks like someone's got an admirer," she giggled as I took one of the glasses and sipped at the red liquid. Before I lost my nerve, I took a deep breath and blurted out something that had been bothering me for a while.

"I'm sorry that the Pack's over at your house all the time, stinking things up, and getting in the way, and..."

"Oh, it's not as bad as I make it sound," she interupted me smoothly. "Jacob's the only one that _really _stinks, anyway. You hardly smell at all, actually."

"Um, thanks?" I said, more of a question than a reply. "Rose, no offense, but what the hell's up with you tonight?"

She shrugged gracefully. "I told you. I'm tired of people always thinking that I'm a selfish bitch. That, and Emmett promised me a trip to Paris if I made more of an effort with the Pack."

"Even Jake?" I laughed, a lot more comfortable now that her behavior made more sense.

Rose smirked and got to her feet in one smooth, fluid motion. "No- I'm free to despise that dog as much as I want. In-law's perogative, right? C'mon, let's go teach Bella some moves."

"Is that even possible?" I asked with a smirk as I followed her to the dance floor.

The floor was crowded, but that didn't bother us a bit as we gyrated to the heavy beat in a tight-knit group. I hadn't danced like this since my senior prom, with Sam, and for a moment that thought stopped my hips in mid-swing. I stood there, watching Rose and Alice twirl and dip with perfect precision, even Bella relaxing enough to start enjoying herself, and downed the rest of my drink in one swig.

_Just dance! Gonna be okay..._

Ah, to hell with it. Sam had been a horrible dancer, anyway. I stopped thinking, stopped worrying, and dove back into the dance with my new vamp 'sisters'.

_Just dance! Spin that record, babe..._

We ignored the ever-changing crowd of guys that hovered around us, and laughed to each other over their overly confident and sometimes sadly pathetic attempts to get our attention. Poor guys. Too bad they had no idea what kind of competition there was waiting for us back at the Cullen house. I couldn't help but think of Embry's hulking, well-muscled frame as I detached myself from yet another would-be dance partner with a polite threat to break his fingers if he tried to touch me again.

The pick-up lines we were getting topped some of our best, too. 'This ain't a beer belly, baby. It's a fuel tank for a _love machine_' had Bella in near hysterics, and 'Do you believe in true love, or do you want me to walk by again?' had Rosalie snarling 'No. Just keep walking'. And poor Alice! 'If you were a Mcdonald's burger, you'd be a McGorgeous, baby'.

"What _is _it with me and men and food? Do I smell like a Happy Meal or something?" she'd wailed plaintively, sniffing her arm.

The worst was when a slobberingly drunk man had flung his arms around Rosalie and I and exclaimed, 'Chocolate and Vanilla! Why don't you girls twist up, and I'll lick you all night long?' About five minutes later, he was dumped unceramoniously onto the sidewalk by our friendly bouncers.

"I need a human moment," I shouted over the music to Rosalie. She nodded, and I wormed my way through the crowd to the bathroom, ignoring the looks and comments I got from the men I passed.

I hated to admit it, but all of the attention was boosting my ego enormously, despite being irritating. The nicest part was that I was getting hit on as much or more than Bella and Alice, so I didn't feel too much like the ugly duckling. Rosalie didn't count because, well, she was _Rosalie._

I finished quickly in the bathroom and headed back towards the dance floor, anxious to lose myself in the music again. As I edged around a table, ignoring the lone occupant sitting half-hidden in the shadows, a sharp, icy scent caught my nose. I paused, confused, instantly aware that the smell was strongly _vampire_, but it didn't smell like any of the Cullens. It smelled older, stronger, more like... like the Volturi. _Real _bloodsucker, not a vegan. My muscles bunched, tensed, quivered, as I scanned the faces around me looking for that tell-tale vampire skin.

Icy-cold hands clamped down on my arms, propelling me around the table and into the dark shadows before I could react. My mostly bare back connected with the rough brick wall, and my breath hissed out at the force of the impact and the raw, scraping sensation on my soft skin.

My arms were pinned against the brick just above my elbows; I couldn't do more than bring my hands up to grip the frigid, sinewy arms that held me in place. Black pants brushed my bare legs, and I could feel the cold seeping through them into me from the scant millimeters that separated our bodies.

"Well, well. What have I caught? I wonder, I wonder," mused a deep, throaty, musical voice. I found myself glaring up into a pair of amused, curious eyes, completely black except for the ring of scarlet red around the irises. I struggled to breath, gagging on the icy stench pouring off of him, and couldn't manage to answer him. My whole body vibrated so forcefully from the tremors I was trying desperately to control that I couldn't see my attacker clearly. I got the impression of his face, handsome and strong boned, and a tousled head of white-blond hair. He bent his head closer to me and inhaled deeply.

"Interesting. So different... what are you, my lovely?" he mused in a thoughtful, intrigued voice. Why wasn't he disgusted? Why wasn't he gagging on my scent like I was on his?

I couldn't think about that, couldn't concentrate on anything except keeping myself together, keeping myself in my human skin. I _couldn't _phase. Not here, in a crowded nightclub. Besides the obvious problem of someone seeing me, how many people would I end up hurting?

Oh god! Where was Rosalie? Bella? Alice? I was trapped, helpless, infinitely weaker than my attacker, and unable to do anything but fight to keep my own body from exploding.

The blond vampire pressed his cold body against mine, pinning me even harder against the rough wall as he inhaled deeply again.

"So hot, like fire," he moaned. I closed my eyes and fought the scream clawing up my throat at the pressure I was fighting under my skin.

"You're one of them, aren't you? One of the shape-shifters," he half-whispered, half moaned, fingers sliding up my arms. "I saw you, you know. Arguing with the Alpha... I had to follow you here. But I thought you were _human_. I never dreamed... god, this heat! It sears right through my skin!"

"You were... on the rez..." I gritted out through my tightly clenched teeth. I was going to lose it. Any moment now, I was going to lose it and rip out of my skin...

He laughed, a low rumble in his chest, and I trembled more violently than ever before. "Oh, yes. I was... curious. Werewolves are getting so scarce these days. I needed to find something new to hunt."

I squeezed my eyes shut and bit the inside of my cheek so hard that I tasted the metallic warmth of my own blood filling my mouth. I couldn't stop the tremors anymore, I couldn't stop the transformation. I was going to ruin everything-

Suddenly, I was swung away from the wall, but pinned just as effectively when the blond vamp's left arm snaked quickly across my torso to lock both my arms down to my sides. My back was pressed flush into his chest, and my skin burned from the contact. His frigid breath ghosted my ear, raising goosebumps, as he whispered to me.

"Ah ah ah, my love. You can't shift here. Look at all those innocent people just a few feet away, completely defenseless..."

Oh, god, he was right. My wide terrified eyes stared out across the crowded dance club from within the dark shadows I was trapped in, and I nearly sobbed. All those people... I made a colossal effort to calm myself, sucking in ragged, shuddering breaths and fighting desperately against my instincts. My gaze skittered frantically through the crowds in a vain hope that I would catch one of the vamp girls' eyes. I couldn't cry out for them; my jaw was locked tight against the seizure-like tremors that rocked my body.

"A female Wolf. Unbeliavable. Incredible," my captor crooned softly, more to himself than me. The long, lean, icy fingers of his right hand traced along my jawline, then glided smoothly down the skin of my throat.

"You're a rare thing. A treasure. No wonder your Wolves were so reluctant to let you go," he murmured, and his lips grazed the skin directly below my ear as he inhaled again. "Your blood... I can smell the Wolf in you, but it's not the same stench as the others," he inhaled again. "No, you're wilder. Sweeter. What would happen if I bit you?"

My god, I was going to die. His teeth grazed the pulse point on my neck, scraping the skin but not breaking it as his ice-cold fingers trailed down the plunging neckline of my dress. With every ounce of strength I could spare, I slammed my spiky heel down on his foot. He chuckled against my neck when the stiletto snapped off harmlessly.

"Now, now. That wasn't very nice," came the silky voice in my ear, and I shuddered through my tremors.

_Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift..._

"Don't worry. I'm not going to bite you. Yet," he whispered, and his cold tongue licked the sensitive skin over my pulse. I had to swallow the bile rising in my throat as his wandering fingers now moved down to trace the slit in my skirt.

"You're an enigma. Spending time with vampires against the wishes of your own kind. Why?"

"LET... ME... GO..."

The furiously hissed words were the only things I could force past my gritted teeth, and the iron muscles of the arm pinning me to him merely tightened in response.

"Oh, no, my precious Lady Wolf. A prize like you..."

But he was cut off in mid-sentece as he was suddenly confronted by Rosalie in all her glory, shining with a magnificent fury. Bella and Alice flanked the blond vampire holding me captive on either side with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Take your hands off my sister or we'll rip them off for you," Rosalie hissed, and the shock of her willingly and seriously calling me her sister barely penetrated my fogged and terrified thoughts.

_Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift...._

"Sister? My, my, there's more to you than I can even begin to imagine, my little enigma," the leech murmured in my ear as he dragged his imprisoning arm away with agonizing slowness. He bent his head into my neck, inhaling deeply once more, before Rosalie reached out and yanked me to her side. Even though I knew her icy grip was friendly, it didn't help to calm the tremors rocking my body, or the horrifically powerful need to shift, to rip and destroy any vampire in my reach.

_Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift..._

"Forgive me my presumptousness. I was merely... curious. I meant no harm," the blond vamp said smoothly, a genteel smile on his face. His sharp eyes probed Rosalie's face swiftly, and the smile grew broader.

"Might I assume I'm having the pleasure of meeting one of Carlisle Cullen's family?"

Rose's eyes narrowed to glittering slits as she clamped her jaw shut tightly. "What makes you think that?"

"I had the pleasure of meeting Carlisle once, many years ago now. All of your eyes are prescicely the same color as his were. And I _had _heard a rumor that he had a permanent residence in this area."

"Who are you?" Bella blurted out impatiently, evidence of a few lingering newborn traits. The blond leech's eyes darted to her momentarily before fixing a penetrating stare on me. His gaze was hungry, possessive, and disturbingly predatory.

"My name is Cyrus. Undoubtably, Carlisle will tell you the rest," he answered politely. Abruptly, he grasped my tightly curled fist and brought it to his cold, marble lips.

_Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift..._

He merely smirked at the hate glowing behind my eyes as he released my hand.

"It's been a pleasure, Lady Wolf."

Before Alice or Bella could stop him, he'd breezed past them and disappeared into the crowd like a spectre from my worst nightmare. My shaking wouldn't ease up, and the only thing I could think anymore was the mantra on repeat in my head.

_Don't shift, don't shift, don't shift..._

"Rose, get her outside, now!" Alice commanded softly, and three pairs of icy hands guided me swiftly through the throngs of people. I stumbled along like a blind drunk in my uneven heels.

"It's alright, Leah. He's gone, he's gone, you don't need to phase. Hang in there."

_Don't shift!_

Finally, I was outside, dragging in deep gulping breaths of the free air. The tremors shook me still, begging me to release the monster inside of me, and the icy cold hands of the vampires supporting me weren't helping.

"Let go! Let me breathe, let me..." the words were strangled and only half-articulate, but I was instantly freed from their frigid touches. Thankfully, my muscles finally began to relax with each slow, deep breath, and my shaking slowed enough for me to be able to concentrate on the world around me.

"I'm okay now. I'm alright," I reassured them as a valet brought Rosalie's convertible to a smooth halt in front of us. Nobody spoke another word until we were outside the city limits.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Alice suddenly piped up, leaning around the backseat to stare at me with concern.

"Did he hurt you?" Rose snarled at the same time as Bella asked, "How did you manage not to phase?"

"I don't know," I admitted, trying very hard not to relive the last hour in case it triggered the inevitable wolf reaction again. "He didn't hurt me. I just... I couldn't get away from him..."

My voice was low, and full of loathing. Whether it was more for the blond bloodsucker, Cyrus, or for my own pathetic weakness, I didn't know. I only knew that I had been no match for him, probably wouldn't have been close to a match even in my wolf form, and there was nothing I could've done to get away from him if Rose, Bella, and Alice hadn't shown up. I felt weak, useless, and pathetic. Not to mention dirty. The skin his cursed fingers had touched still felt cold to me. God, how I wished the boys, _Embry, _had been there...

As if on cue, my phone rang shrilly in the heavy silence of the car. I yanked it out of my small clutch and almost cried when I saw the caller listed as 'Tank'. I answered it without thinking, oblivious to the protests Alice and Rosalie were making.

"_Embry!"_ I breathed in relief as the two vamps groaned in unison. I frowned at them, totally confused about why they didn't want me talking to him.

"Hey, B. Just checking in, since all the _other _guys are too chicken to call their wives. So, ya' know, we're all just wondering if you're having a good time, and, uh... when you'll be home and all that," Embry's rich, deep voice finished the last part in a rush, like he was expecting me to get royally pissed off at him.

Home. Oh, god. _Now_ I realized why Rose and Alice hadn't wanted me to answer the phone. The instant his voice had flooded my ear, I'd realized just how terribly I wanted to keep this whole episode secret for as long as possible. Lord only knew how badly the boys would react to hearing about my little run-in with Carlisle's old buddy.

"Leah? You there?" Embry asked tentatively after my silence went on for a _really _long time.

"Home? Yeah. No, um, we're having a blast. But, um, I'm tired, so we're heading back now, actually. Yeah," I stuttered out, looking desperately at Rosalie. She grimaced and rolled her eyes, which I took to be a really bad sign. Now it was Embry's turn to give me a ridiculously long silence.

"What happened, Leah?"

Oh, shit.

"Nothing, Tank. I told you, I'm tired and we-"

Embry's growl was loud enough for everyone in the car to hear. "Seriously, Leah. Something happened, or you wouldn't be heading back to Forks after only being gone four hours."

Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, and Alice buried her face in her hands. I worked my mouth open and shut like a fish, but couldn't form any sort of an answer. In the backseat, Bella's phone suddenly rang.

"Don't answer it!" Rose and Alice hissed in unison, but the sheepish look on Bella's face showed us that she already had.

"Nothing happened, Edward. We're all fine, really," she said into her phone after a tense minute.

"C'mon, B. What's going on?" Embry's voice said into my ear, making me miss whatever Edward was saying to Bella. I growled in annoyance and ignored him as Bella scrunched her face up tensely.

"We ran into another vampire- an old friend of Carlisle's," she finally blurted out. "What? He's going to find out from our thoughts when we get home, anyway," she hissed defensively at us as she covered the microphone with her finger. Rosalie and Alice gave her matching glares of death as their phones rang simultaneously.

"An old friend of Carlisle's... as in a _vampire _friend... Holy hell, Leah!" Embry exploded, and I pulled the phone away from my ear with a grimace.

"Jazz, I'm fine. We're all fine. Nothing happened," Alice was saying into her phone.

"God, Emmett. Calm down," Rose snapped into hers. It was like all chaos had broken loose inside the convertible as everyone talked at once. With everyone on the phone at the same time, it was like we were all in one room, shouting at each other.

"Look, he wasn't threatening us. He was just curious about Leah!" Bella exclaimed loudly, and suddenly the car was dead silent.

"_**What?**_ What did she mean, curious?" Embry suddenly shouted, deafening me in one ear. It sounded like there was a scuffle going on the other end of the line, and Jake's voice boomed through the phone.

"What happened, Leah? What-"

Seth's voice cut over his anxiously. "Are you okay? You didn't-"

"Did he touch you?" demanded Embry loudly, snatching the phone back. Ruthlessly, from the sounds of it. I rolled my eyes and glared at Bella.

"Thanks. That really helped," I muttered to her. She gave me an apologetic girmace and mouthed 'sorry' at me.

"Good grief, Jazz! Give her some more credit than that! She didn't phase!" exclaimed Alice, exasperation in her lilting voice.

"You didn't phase, Leah? Then what-" Jake grabbed the phone to ask me, but Embry took it back before he could finish his sentence.

"Seriously, B. Did he hurt you?"

I massaged my aching head with one hand. "Jeez, guys. Shut up for a minute. _Please._"

Their brief pause was enough for me to catch the end of Bella's sentence.

"... just a fluke. I mean, it couldn't have been the vampire Sam told us about. Right, Alice?"

Once again, dead silence.

"Bella..." Alice groaned. Bella's eyes widened as her hand flew up to cover her mouth, realizing her mistake.

"_Sam? _You saw _Sam_ tonight?" Embry boomed angrily. Once again, all chaos broke loose.

"But, Jazz, he was headed the _other direction_," Alice pleaded.

I sighed, ignored my Pack shouting at me, and corrected her instead. "Actually, it was him. He saw us talking to Sam and followed us to Seattle."

Jake had the phone again, chewing my ear off and spewing questions that he gave me no time to answer. I could hear Embry in the background yelling at him to stop yelling at me, and Seth trying to get everyone to calm down by emphasizing over and over that we were all okay.

"Right. I'm hanging up now," I finally said wearily when Jake took a second to breathe. "You can tell me off some more when we get there."

I snapped the phone shut before he could reply, and Rosalie did the same thing to Emmett. Alice shoved hers as deeply into her little bag as it could go with a disgusted look on her face. It took Bella another five minutes to hang up on Edward.

"Well, that's just great. There goes my trip to Paris," Rosalie grumbled darkly, scowling at the road speeding past us.

"At least your husband won't be following you around making you feel guilty for a week," Alice mumbled grumpily.

"Ha. You guys think you've got it bad? I'm going to have to deal with my whole Pack when we get home," I moaned, massaging my tired, aching head. Rose and Alice both gave me sympathetic looks, but Bella merely crossed her arms tightly over her chest with a sour look.

"Oh, please. I've got to deal with _Edward_," she stated darkly.

She had us trumped, there. All of us slumped gloomily into our seats, trying hard not to think too much about what was waiting for us back at the Cullen house. I wrinkled up my nose and sighed.

"Rose? Drive a little slower, would you?"


	13. Running Away

**Running Away**

**AN: **_Wow! Thanks so much for reading/reviewing last chapter, everyone!! Sorry it's taken me so long to post (again). Here's my good excuse: This chapter was actually going to be much, much longer. So, tonight, I'm writing away, and realize I'm going on page twenty (__**twenty!!**__), and no where near the chapter end. Now, that's getting a bit ridiculous, even for me. So, I picked a spot that seemed half-way decent for stopping, and here you go. Please bear with this chapter- after last chapter it's pretty boring, but now you know why! All the more interesting stuff happens next chapter (I hope...) AND that also means the next chapter will be posted ASAP because it's mostly written already.  
Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for reviewing! It totally inspires me, so PLEASE keep it up!_

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Nearly every light in the Cullen house was blazing as we pulled up the long drive. Worse yet, our six men stood at the bottom of the porch steps, silhoutted menacingly against the brightly lit house. The headlights of the convertible swept over them as we pulled up, and the anger and worry on their features were etched into sharp relief in the harsh light.

"Here we go," Rosalie groaned as she slid to a stop mere feet away from them.

I turned my head to grimace at her, but before I could open my mouth to reply, Embry yanked open my door. He had my seatbelt undone and me out of the car and crushed in his arms in seconds. My breath came out in a pained squeak as his massive arms squeezed the living daylights out of me, my feet dangling above the damp grass, before he set me down to look anxiously at me.

"Did that leech hurt you?" he demanded as his hands ran swiftly down my neck and arms and his sharp eyes looked me over from head to toe, looking for injuries. My temper flared a little bit at that.

"No, dammit. I'm not helpless, you know," I spat out, much more bitchy than I had a right to be. But the truth was, I _was _helpless. Cyrus had made that abundantly clear in just a few agonizing seconds, and that scared me and pissed me off in equal measures.

Embry backed off a bit, but he didn't let go of me. "I know that, B. I just-"

"What happened with Sam? What was he doing over the border?" Jake cut over him ruthlessly, attempting to shove him to the side so he could interrogate me. Embry merely stepped closer to me again and pulled me back into a half hug, glaring at our Alpha.

"Dammit, don't yell at her, Jake," he snarled.

"Leah, you're okay, right? I tried to get them all to calm down," Seth said quietly in my ear from the other side.

I forced myself to give him a tiny smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for trying, little bro."

He grinned and tried to give me a quick hug. It was a bit awkward, though, because Embry wouldn't let me go. I found myself in the middle of a tight triangle of my Packmates as Jake and Embry argued above my head.

"I'm not yelling at her, man. I've gotta know what's happening in La Push," Jake growled.

"Then go to La Push and ask Sam. Don't drag Leah through it all again," Embry snapped back at him. I sighed and tried to interject, but my weak attempts at getting their attention went unnoticed. Dear god, they were being annoying!

I peeked through the wall of their massive bodies for help, but realized instantly none of the other girls were any better off than I was. Edward was practically smothering Bella in kisses, and if I was any judge of their relationship, I'd guess he was somehow extracting solemn promises from her never to leave his side again. Jasper had dragged Alice off into the shadows by the porch, where they were currently deep into a quiet, intense conversation. Alice looked a little bit like she'd love to burst into sobs, if such a thing were possible for her. I had to wonder if he was threatening to burn her massive wardrobe or something. Rosalie and Emmett... well, they appeared to be having some kind of silent stand-off as they stood about a foot away from each other with their arms crossed tightly across their chests, glaring heavily. Vampire or not, if looks could kill, they both would've been ashes.

"What on earth is going on here?"

Everyone stopped arguing, kissing, glaring, and threatening at the sweet, bell-like voice chiming from the forest's edge. Simultaneously, we all turned to see Carlisle and Esme standing hand in hand, obviously just returning from their little hunting excursion. The expressions on their faces were comically dumbfounded as they stared at us; Edward with his arms locked around Bella, Rosalie and Emmett in a stand-off, Jasper and Alice in the shadows, and me barely visible inside the circle of Wolf boys.

"Carlisle, are you acquainted with a vampire by the name of Cyrus?" Edward asked harshly, and Carlisle blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Cyrus. We ran into him tonight, and he said he knew you," Rose bit out without moving her glare from Emmett. The two of them had resumed their little battle of wills, and neither one appeared ready to give in.

"Perhaps we'd better have this story from the beginning," Carlisle said, his smooth marble brow creased with concern.

Embry, Jake, and Seth looked at me, I looked around them pleadingly at Bella, she looked into the shadows at Alice, Alice looked pointedly at Rosalie, and Rosalie kept glaring at Emmett. We were at an impasse.

"The _girls_ decided to go to Seattle tonight. Without any of us," Edward finally said smoothly when it became clear none of us were going to start the story. His tone made it perfectly obvious just how idiotic he thought we had been, too. Bella, Alice, and I gave him dirty looks, and Rosalie glared even harder at Emmett.

"On the way there, they apparently had some kind of run in with Sam Uley, who warned them that they'd been tracking a lone vampire through the reservation all day. And yet they _still _went on to Seattle," Edward continued grimly, despite the death looks he was receiving from us.

"I told you, he was heading the other direction! There was absolutely no danger from him when we were talking to Sam!" Alice interjected angrily with a little stamp of her foot.

"Yes, but you know how unreliable your visions are around the Wolves," Jasper replied, just as angrily. She looked like she wanted to hit him.

"And this Cyrus was the vampire Sam and his Pack were tracking?" Carlisle interjected swiftly, probably in an attempt to cut their argument short.

"Oh, yeah. It was him," I muttered wearily from inside my prison of Packmates.

"How do you know for sure?" Emmett demanded, narrowed eyes still trained on Rosalie.

For a moment, the memory of that dangerously velvety voice was so strong it was as if he was whispering in my ear again... _I had to follow you... needed to find something new to hunt... _I shuddered, trembled, my tired muscles aching with the need to shift, but the warmth of Embry's arm dragged me back to reality. Taking in a shaky breath, I looked up to see Edward's eyes piercing right through my thoughts.

Oh, god! I hadn't meant to show him that, hadn't wanted any of them to know... too late now.

Edward's face twisted into a dark grimace. "He overheard their conversation with Sam and followed them to Seattle... he was looking for something new to hunt, something challenging. But then he saw Leah..."

Edward could see it all in my head as the memories poured unwillingly through my thoughts. And I could only imagine the memories of the other girls when they'd finally spotted me, standing helplessly in the leech's iron-like hold while his free hand wandered where it would. My eyes pleaded with mind-reader not to say anything more, not to tell how helpless I'd been. Or how afraid. He stared back at me, and his face looked a little sickened.

Embry frowned darkly at Edward, obviously aware that the vamp knew more about something than he was going to say, before he turned his gaze back down to me.

"What happened, B? What did he do?"

"I told you, he was just curious. He didn't do anything, really," I answered quickly. Too quickly, from the look Embry gave me.

"Yeah, he let her go as soon as we..." Bella trailed off at the venomous glares Alice and I shot her way. The growls resonating through my three Wolf boys literally made the air around me vibrate. I had a brief, pleasant vision of ripping Bella's tongue out by the root and strangling her with it.

"_Let go of you? _As in, he was touching you?" Embry managed to snarl out, but the words were so guttural it was difficult to decipher them.

"Pinning me, actually," I replied wearily in defeat. "Kinda like you are now, Tank."

"Pinning you? So, he attacked you?" demanded Jake harshly, one-hundred percent over-protective Alpha. Seth looked at him worriedly, like he thought Jake might order us all to hunt the leech down right then.

Carlisle spoke up in an awed voice. "You mean to tell me that an unknown, unfriendly vampire pinned you, and yet you still managed not to shift, Leah? That's... incredible!"

"Yeah, well," I closed my eyes and shuddered from the memory of how close I had really come to doing just that. "It wasn't like it was easy."

"No, I can well imagine not. How long-"

Edward cut off Carlisle's questioning, putting me eternally in his debt. "What do you know about this Cyrus, Carlisle? He told Rosalie he'd met you, recognized her as one of your family by her eyes."

"And what the hell did you mean, he was looking for something new to hunt?" Jake shot at Edward.

"Cyrus... was he pale blond, tall, lean-muscled?" Carlisle asked me thoughtfully. I nodded, though the only thing I really remembered clearly about him was the frighteningly possessive and predatory look in his eyes.

"And he somehow told you he was looking for something to hunt?"

"Yeah. He said that werewolves were getting scarce, so he needed to find something else," I replied. "And he knew that I'm not a werewolf- that none of the La Push Wolves are. He made it sound like he'd come here to see if we were worth hunting..."

Even Seth snarled heavily at that, but Carlisle looked thoughtful.

"Ah, so it _is _him. I haven't seen or heard about him since I first left the Volturi," he said to himself quietly. Whatever memories he was reliving in his head made Edward's face twist into a mixture of dread and worry, a fact not lost on any of us.

"So who is this guy, Carlisle? Someone we actually have to worry about?" Jake demanded harshly of the Cullen father-figure.

Carlisle shook himself back to the present. "I'm not sure. If I'm right, the Cyrus you met tonight is well over a hundred years older than me, and has spent a majority of his vampire life hunting werewolves. An obsession, if you will. He was occasionally a guest of the Volturi, of Caius, mainly, while I was with them. Genteel enough in his manners, but ruthless and dangerously skilled."

"So he works for the Volturi?" asked Jasper quietly, and everyone shifted uneasily. The memories of our last encounter with them was too fresh in any of our minds to take such a suggestion lightly.

"No. At least, he didn't all those years ago. A freelancer or mercenary might be a better term. He didn't kill werewolves for the Volturi, he did it because he enjoyed it. Cyrus was- is- a hunter. And like human big game hunters, he seeks out the strongest and most dangerous enemies he can fight, simply for the thrill."

"And enormous, shape-shifting wolves would definitely fall into that category," Edward added seriously.

"You met the leech, Leah. What do you think? Can we take him?" Jake asked me, just as seriously. I contemplated for a moment.

"Individually, not a chance. As a Pack... yeah. I think so."

He blew out a breath noisily, relieved. "Right, then. That's okay. We just make sure no one's caught alone."

"What about the La Push gang?" Seth asked worriedly.

"I'll talk to Sam tonight, let him know about it. There's enough of them now that it shouldn't be a problem. I doubt Cyrus'll even be able to get back into the rez once Sam knows about him."

I groaned inwardly, hoping against hope that Jake would somehow be smart enough not to go into detail about how we knew so much about Cyrus. It wouldn't be so difficult to talk to Sam about it without bringing up my name, would it? The doubtful look Edward shot my way at that thought killed my tiny bit of optimism. Yeah, Jacob had never been really skilled at tact.

"Alice, can you see anything about his plans, where he is, anything?" Jasper asked the pixie quietly, and she screwed up her face in hard concentration. It didn't take long before she grimaced in disgust.

"Yeah, he's still in Seattle at the club. And he's planning on having a red-head for a midnight snack."

"That's a good thing, right? Not the red-head part- I meant that if he was planning anything with us, you wouldn't be able to see anything," Seth piped up hopefully.

Alice merely shrugged. "I can't see much past tonight, though. I don't think he's made up his mind one way or the other about the hunt."

"Well, he would have noticed the Pack mentality in the La Push Wolves," Carlilse put in thoughtfully. "He wouldn't have encountered anything like that with werewolves. They're lone animals, not Packs."

"And one vampire fighting a whole Pack isn't great odds," Embry added.

"Right. There's a decent chance he won't attempt the hunt at all, especially if he never finds any of you alone."

"Great. So now that we're all done freaking out, can I go home?" I asked grumpily. Everything I'd been through that night, Sam, Cyrus, the colossal effort it took not to phase in the club, had taken a heavy toll on me. I'd never felt so bone-tired exhausted before in my life. I wanted to get home, to the safety of my bed, and more importantly, I wanted a shower. My skin crawled at the memory of those icy fingers; I wanted to rip that red dress into tatters and _burn _it. And pray Alice didn't kill me for it.

"We weren't freaking out, B. We were just-" Embry defended, frowning, but I cut him off with a scowl.

"Yes, you were. You all were."

"Drama queens," Rosalie added, still staring Emmett down in their battle of wills. Any other woman would've withered under the glare he gave her in return, but not her. I wondered how long their little stand-off would last, considering they were two of the most pig-headed people I'd ever met.

"Well, I'm heading back. See if I can find Sam," Jacob announced with a backwards wave as he headed toward the treeline. With a glance at Embry, Seth headed swiftly after him.

"Car or shift?" Embry asked me, one arm still wrapped tightly around my shoulders. It didn't look like he was going to let me out of his sight until I got to my front door, and I scowled in annoyance. I really didn't need a blatant reminder of just how weak and helpless I was right now.

"Car," I replied reluctantly. There wasn't much of a choice, honestly. I couldn't risk being in wolf-form with them until I'd managed to closet any and all memories from tonight safely away into my subconscious where the boys couldn't get at them easily. Although... I'd definitely have to 'inadvertently' show them a few of the come-ons I'd gotten. Just to, you know, teach them what _not _to do.

"Bye, Leah," Alice called after me miserably. Jasper stood behind her with his arms crossed over his chest, and I got the distinct feeling she was in for a rough night. Bella was already being dragged off toward her cottage by Edward, and Rosalie didn't look like she would be giving in to Emmett any time soon.

"See you around, Alice. It was fun. At least, up until the vampire part," I returned with a half-hearted wave in an attempt to cheer her up. The fleeting smile on her face was rewarding.

I shook Embry's arm off- with some difficulty- as we headed to his beat up old Ford. I wasn't even sure why it bothered me so much. Maybe it was because I was terrified he'd find out how pathetic I was, or maybe I was just scared of my own reaction to it. I _wanted _his arm around me, and more than that, I wanted to wail and cry and tell him how scared I'd been. But that just couldn't happen. I was supposed to be the Beta-Wolf, for god's sake!

Embry drove in silence, and I stared listlessly out the window. A faint howl reached my ears above the noise of the engine, and I knew Jake was contacting Sam. My stomach clenched up, and I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to think about anything.

"Are you okay?" Embry asked quietly, glancing at me with concern. Anger washed over me, and my hands balled into hard fists.

"_I'm fine_. How many times do I have to say it?" I growled as I glared out the window and refused to look over at him.

"You're not fine, Leah, and I-"

"Just shut up, Embry! Just shut up and leave me alone! You're always pushing me! I said I'm fine, so just _drop it!_" I nearly shouted, angry and a little panicked. If he kept prying, I'd lose it. And then he'd know just how pathetic I really was.

His mouth snapped shut, and a muscle ticked irregularly in his jaw. He didn't say another word as he pulled up to a stop sign about a block away from my house, but his eyes burned dangerously in his carefully blank face. I couldn't take it anymore; I unbuckled my seatbelt and bolted out of the car before he knew what I was doing.

"Leah-!"

I ignored him and sprinted toward my house as fast as that ridiculous dress would let me move. I didn't even bother to look behind me to see if he was following as I yanked the door open and slammed it shut.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, sucking in huge, shuddering breaths as my composure completely fell apart. I was shaking again, but thankfully not from the urge to shift. This was just purely overstretched nerves and a delayed reaction to everything that had happened. But mostly, if I was honest with myself, the way that Embry had looked after I yelled at him. Seth was right- I ruin everything.

"Leah, is that you?" my mom's sleepy voice drifted down the hallway from her bedroom, and I leapt to my feet.

"Yeah, mom. Don't bother getting up. I'm just heading to bed," I answered quickly, anxious not to be seen by anybody. She mumbled something incoherent in reply, and I knew she was already falling back to sleep.

Trembling, I made my way to the bathroom and stared at my reflection. My normally brown face looked unnaturally white in the harsh fluorescent lights, and my eyes looked back at me, huge and terrified. It felt like I should be able to see marks where Cyrus had touched me, trails of frostbite or something, but there was nothing. No marks, but I could still feel it. And it felt like fear.

Bile rose up in my throat, and I leaned over the toilet and heaved up the contents of my stomach helplessly. First Sam, then Cyrus, and then Embry. My Tank. Why had I been such a bitch to him?

Oh, right. Because I was a pathetic weakling.

Finally, there was nothing left in my system to throw up, and I could drag myself back to my feet. I crawled into the shower, wishing I could feel the hot water scalding me, but I had to settle for scrubbing my skin until it was raw and sore wherever the filthy bloodsucker had touched me. I hated the fact that it healed in mere minutes.

Seth was leaning against the hallway wall when I finally came out of the bathroom, and his gentle brown eyes regarded me carefully in the dim light. Oh, god! How long had he been standing there? He hadn't heard me being sick, had he? He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before he could get the words out.

"If you ask me if I'm okay one more time, I'm going to rip your head off and use it as a soccer ball."

He closed his mouth and looked a little sheepish. "Uh... Jake talked to Sam, so the rez should be ready if the leech decides to show up," he said after a few minutes.

"Glad to hear it," I muttered, marching past him to my room. I had absolutely zero desire to hear any more about Jake's conversation with Sam. I could almost hear the man's gloating "I told you so!" in my head as it was.

I should've been so exhausted that I slept straight through the night and half-way through the next day, too. Instead, I jerked awake, drenched in sweat and breathing hard, after a little less than an hour. I couldn't remember what I was dreaming about, just vague pictures of scarlet rimmed eyes and icy fingers, but my stomach was knotted up into a tight ball of terror.

Quickly, I flicked on every light in my room, scanning the shadows for something I knew wouldn't be there. I felt like a silly kid terrified of the monster under her bed. There were no monsters in La Push, with the exception of me and my kind, and I knew that there was no way any leech would make it over the border now. At least not without sending up an alarm that no Wolf, La Push Pack or not, would miss.

Still, I couldn't sleep. I paced my room, laid down and shut my eyes, and got up to pace some more. It took a lot of will-power not to creep down the hall to Seth's room and curl up on the floor in there. I felt so vulnerable, so afraid, and so _alone. _I wanted my Tank. I wanted my Embry to put his big arms around me again and tell me I was safe and strong and worthy of being the Beta. But that wasn't going to happen, because I was an idiot and told him to leave me alone. God, he had every right never to speak to me again after the way I treated him just for caring about me. I was such a bitch.

Finally, I curled up in my window and stared out at the blackness of the thick trees. It didn't make me feel any better, but I thought about Embry. At least worrying about losing his friendship kept the fear at bay.

When the first pink rays of dawn appeared, I finally crawled back into bed, stiff from sitting so long, and sank gratefully into a fitful sleep.


	14. Holding On

**Holding On**

**AN: **_Whoohoo! Told you this update would be quick! For me, that is. **Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!!!!! **You guys are super-stars, and you're most definitely the reason this story is still being written!! PLEASE keep it up- I appreciate it SO much!_

_Do I need a disclaimer? It's pretty obvious that I'm not Stephanie Meyer. She didn't have this much interest in Leah's character. A pity, really. _

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The sun was bright in the sky when I awoke to the sound of clanging pans and the smell of something burning. A glance at my clock told me it was only mid-morning, which was way too early to get up after a sleepless night. Sighing, I shoved back my covers and wandered down the hallway to the kitchen, following the smoke.

Seth stood at the stove, happily burning bacon to an unrecognizable crisp while an acrid smell told me he'd forgotten the eggs frying away in the other pan. Swiftly, I swatted him away from the food to try to salvage what I could.

"Good grief, Seth. Do you want a little food with your charcoal this morning?"

He grinned at me. "Thanks, Leah. I was trying to keep it edible, but, well..."

"You'd better hope you imprint on someone who can cook," I told him severely as I dumped the contents of both pans into the garbage. He just shrugged sheepishly and handed me a new carton of eggs.

Once breakfast was on the table, Seth shoveled his in like usual, but I merely picked at mine listlessly. I knew there was nothing in my stomach- I'd taken care of that last night- but I just couldn't muster any sort of an appetite. For one thing, I was too damn tired.

"So, um, you gonna stick around the rez today?" Seth questioned me quietly once most of the food had been demolished.

"Dunno. Probably," I muttered non-committally. I wasn't working, so there was no real reason for me to leave. Besides which, my worried, guilty conscience was niggling at me to go apologize to Embry.

"Oh. Well, that's good," he replied, and shrugged at my quizzical look. "We're not supposed to be alone outside the rez, remember? Jake figures it's safe enough inside the border, with Sam's Pack patrolling, but we've got to at least be in pairs if we're heading to the Cullen's or anything."

"Whatever," I muttered disinterestedly, and he blew a heavy breath out of his mouth and ran a hand over his buzzed hair.

"Right. Well, Jake and I are heading over to the Cullen's, then..."

"What about Embry?" I asked, a little more quickly than I needed to. Seth shrugged casually.

"Said he was gonna stay behind and work on your Molly today," he replied, then waved before the door slammed behind him on his way out.

I banged my head on the table with a groan. Jeez. I yell at the guy, act like a total bitch, and he _still _does nice things for me. I guess I really did deserve all the awful crap Fate kept chucking at me.

The house felt oppressively empty after Seth had left, and it made me twitchy. I kept glancing nervously over my shoulder into the hallway as I washed the dishes, unable to shake the sensation that someone was watching me.

"Lord, get a grip, Leah," I mumbled angrily to myself when the refrigerator kicking in made me dent the pan I was washing.

It didn't take me long to finish cleaning the kitchen, but by then I was thoroughly creeped out and annoyed at myself for being so childish. But that didn't change the fact that I was desperate to find someone to hang out with and ease my fear.

The problem was, Embry was pretty much my only option within the rez, and I wasn't too sure how thrilled he'd be to see me after my bitchy behavior last night. Heaving a heavy sigh, I headed towards Jake's house. I needed to apologize to my Tank, anyway, and the sooner the better. With any luck, he'd give me another chance.

I could hear the radio playing in the garage as I walked slowly up the driveway, and I rehearsed my apology speeches over and over in my head. I wasn't very good at that kind of thing, and that made me nervous. What if I made things even worse by messing up the apology? Worse yet, what if he didn't want to listen to me? Not that I could blame him...

Embry had his nose buried deep into the intricate workings under Molly's hood when I came quietly through the doorway, and I just stopped for a moment to watch him. All those new, beefy muscles really did look good on him, and...

He stood up suddenly, and his dark chocolate eyes caught mine. Neither of us said anything right away, and I shifted uncomfortably and grabbed a fistful of my old, ratty sweatpants in my nervous hands.

"Uh, hey," I finally said lamely, all my speeches unfortunately forgotten when he just stood there and looked at me.

"Hey," he replied as he picked up a rag and started to wipe some of the grease off his hands with it. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment, and I scuffed my bare toe into the dirt of the floor.

"Um, I'm sorry about last night. Really. I was a real bitch when you were just trying to help, and... I shouldn't have been. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. No worries. I... shouldn't have pushed you," Embry replied earnestly. "I just... have a really hard time seeing you hurting."

I looked at him then, wishing I knew how to tell him how much that meant to me, wishing I could hug him and... I didn't know what. That part was a little confusing. The tips of his ears turned red, and he abruptly turned back to the car and gestured at the engine.

"She's almost ready. Just a few more tweaks and she'll be road-worthy."

I came up to look at the mysterious lump of twisted metal, grateful for the topic change. Somehow the two of us were back to our normal relationship within minutes, as if nothing ever happened. If I stood a little bit closer to him and watched him a little bit more than normal, he didn't give any signs of noticing. By silent agreement, neither of us mentioned the previous night again.

Eventually, I curled up in the backseat of my Molly, feeling safe now that I was with Embry and too tired to keep my eyes open any longer. It felt like I'd barely fallen asleep when a large, hot hand gently stroked my cheek and shook my shoulder. I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes to see Embry's upside down face smiling at me.

"Sorry. What time is it?" I asked after a minute's disorientation.

"A little after two, and I'm starving," he replied cheerfully. I climbed out of the car and stretched, yawning.

"Right. My place- mom just got groceries yesterday."

We were halfway down the driveway before a sudden motion in the trees caught my eyes. I spun around defensively, ready to shift, and Embry caught my arm.

"Relax. It's just Colin. I think," he squinted into the trees in an attempt to get a better look at the shaggy figure mostly hidden in the shadows.

"Colin? What's he doing here?" I asked sharply.

"Keeping an eye on us would be my guess. Didn't you notice him following you this morning?"

_That _was why I'd felt like someone was watching me all morning! Okay, now I was pissed.

"What the hell? _Why?_ It's not like we're gonna let that damn bloodsucker into the rez! Does Sam have somebody following Quil, too?" I snapped, glaring heatedly into the woods at Colin.

"Uh, no," Embry said uncomfortably. "Actually, I think you're the only one they're following. Sam thought you needed... extra protection. You can thank Jake for that."

"Oh my god," I groaned, turning a mortified scarlet. "I'm going to _kill _Jacob Black. And then I'm going to bring him back to life so I can kill him again." I turned to glare at Embry's sheepish face. "Let me guess. He told you to play bodyguard, too, right?"

"Uh, well, no... he didn't... um," he stuttered, the tips of his ears turning brilliant red again.

"Right." I rolled my eyes, then turned and stomped a few feet toward the trees. "Colin! You go tell Sam I don't need any damn 'protection'! Especially not from him! And if you keep following me, I swear to god I will personally kick your ass! Do you hear me?"

The shaggy Wolf merely looked at me with impassive brown eyes, and I knew all my threats would do absolutely no good against his Alpha's orders. _Sam._ After I was done killing Jacob- _twice-_ I was going to murder _him_.

"C'mon, let's go," I snapped to Embry as I stomped past him up the driveway. He caught up with me, his expression hesistant.

"Uh, yeah. Where're we going?"

I gave him a glare that would've made Rosalie proud. "My house. Food, remember? And then I'm going to go find Jacob and kick his ass."

"Just try not to break your hand again, okay?" he replied, waggling his eyebrows at me with a grin. I stuck my tongue out at him.

My mom's car was parked in our driveway when we turned onto our street, and I frowned in confusion. Mom was never home at two in the afternoon, unless there was some kind of emergency or something. I jogged quickly to the house, Embry keeping pace at my side, and threw open the front door.

"Mom! Mom, what's-"

Mom poked her head out of the kitchen and frowned at me. "I'm right here, Leah. You don't need to shout. Oh, hi Embry."

Embry flashed his trademark grin at her. "Hey, Sue. How's it going?"

"What're you doing home, Mom?" I demanded, following her into the kitchen. "Aren't you supposed to be at work right now?"

Mom laughed bitterly and took a big swig from the tumbler on the table. My nose twitched as I caught the unmistakable scent of brandy in the air. My mom, _drinking_? At two in the afternoon? Embry and I exchanged a wary look as my mother sat herself down at the kitchen table with a thump.

"No. Obviously I'm not at work right now, and I won't be at work again in the future, either. The old bastards _fired _me."

_"What?_" Embry and I gasped together. I swiftly moved around the table to sit across from her, my mouth hanging open. "Mom, are you _serious_? Why?"

Mom laughed bitterly again. "Oh, they fed me some bullshit about cutting budgets, but it's pretty damn obvious they got rid of me because I'm marrying Charlie. Like I'm betraying the whole damn tribe!"

For a moment, I couldn't even say anything. I mean, my mom drinking brandy in the middle of the afternoon was one thing, but swearing, too? Not that she didn't have a perfectly good reason to be swearing...

"You've got to be kidding. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Embry exclaimed loudly. "What did Billy have to say about it?"

"Doesn't matter what he thought. His word doesn't carry much weight anymore, now that Jacob's imprinted on Nessie," my mom answered, staring into her cup of brandy. My eyes stung with tears looking at her. Sue Clearwater, the indomitable woman, who had held herself together through all the tragedies she'd faced, actually looked defeated.

"Hey, Mom, it's okay. You hated working for those crotchety old misers anyway," I said in a lame attempt to soothe her, reaching across the table to squeeze her arm. "Besides, after you and Charlie get married, won't it be more convenient if you're working at the hospital again, since you'll be living in Forks?"

"Yes, but this house..." Mom looked around the kitchen a little wildly. "Your father wanted to keep this house for one of you kids to have someday. I can't sell it..."

"So don't sell it," I replied. "Seth and I can keep living here. Charlie's house is too small for all of us, anyway."  
"Yeah, Sue. You move in with Charlie and get your job back at the hospital. Billy and Jake and I will help Leah and Seth with the house if they need it," Embry put in encouragingly.

Mom looked at me seriously. "You and Seth may not be so welcome in La Push anymore, either."

"Ah, that doesn't worry me," I answered truthfully. "And if it's really a problem, we'll move to Forks with you or something. Really, Mom. Forget about those old bastards. You only worked for them to be closer to Seth and I, and now we spend more time in Forks than here."

"That's true," Mom conceded, brightening a little. "So, you think the hospital will take me back on?"

I rolled my eyes indulgently. "Oh, please. You know you were one of their best nurses. Tell you what, we're running over to the Cullen's today after we get some food, so I'll ask Carlisle if he knows of any openings, okay?"

"Thanks, Leah. I'd appreciate that." Mom looked down at her glass of brandy with a grimace, then got up and poured it in the sink. "I suppose I can start packing in the meantime," she added, not quite cheerfully, but at least she wasn't still swearing.

Embry and I exchanged a long look after she wandered down the hallway toward her bedroom. Inside, I was silently seething at the unbelievable arrogance of the elders.

"Guess things are worse than Jake knew," Embry finally said. He rubbed his face with a grease stained hand and sighed.

"Those dirty old bastards. I can't believe they'd stoop so low... just because she's marrying Charlie Swan!" I bit out harshly, keeping my voice down so Mom wouldn't overhear me. I threw open the fridge with a lot more force than was necessary, but luckily Embry caught the door before it was wrenched off it's hinges.

"Ugh, I'm too angry to eat anything," I groaned. "Let's just head over to the Cullen's. Oh- except that you're still starving."

"Naw, it's fine. Esme's always got something ready, anyway," Embry replied with a casual shrug.

I yelled that we were leaving to my mom, and the two of us headed into the woods to shift. I could smell Wolf strongly in the air once Embry and I split up, and I spun in a slow circle looking for any sign of company.

"Colin, if you watch me strip, Sam'll find out about it and beat you into a bloody, unrecognizable lump of fur," I said loudly. Satisfied that I didn't hear any movement, I quickly stripped down and shivered out of my human skin.

_"What took you so long?"_ Embry's voice floated through my thoughts as I quickly caught up with him.

_"Just making sure I didn't have any peepers," _I replied, and laughed at his vivid mental picture of shredding Colin if he had.

_"Hey, guys! Heading over here?" _Seth's excited voice questioned. It seemed like he and Jake were taking turns running the perimeter today.

_"Yep. Any signs of our leech?" _Embry asked.

We could feel the relief in Seth's thoughts. _"Nope. Alice has been seeing him heading north-east all day, too. She thinks he's still in Seattle, but he'll be leaving soon."_

_"Good. Then maybe Jake'll tell Sam to call off his damn bodyguards."_ I thought sarcastically and felt Seth wince.

_"Yeah... I was going to tell you about that last night, but... Sam kinda went off the deep end."_

Now it was my turn to wince with mortification at the little snippets of Jake and Sam's 'conversation' last night. It looked like a whole lot of telling off on Sam's part for 'putting us in danger with the leeches' in the first place. Jake didn't look like he took it very well, either.

_"Seth..."_ Embry thought warningly, and abruptly those memories were replaced with thoughts of food.

_"Sorry, sorry. I'm just gonna finish this pass and I'll meet you guys up at the house, alright?"_

_"Yeah, we've gotta talk," _I replied, careful not to show him anything about our mom. "_Oh, hey! Are Rose and Emmett still glaring at each other?"_

_"Naw, Esme said they disappeared into the woods sometime around dawn. She thinks they'll be back tomorrow,"_ Seth told us with a laugh. _"See you at the house!" _

Alice came running out to meet us as soon as Embry and I walked out of the trees. "Leah, thank god!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm. "You'll shop with me, won't you?"

"Uh... where? Newton's store?" I asked, dumbfounded. Like hell my Pack was going to let me go any farther than Forks.

"No, online. I'm not stupid enough to try to leave the house today," she replied, dragging me toward the front door. Embry ambled after us, an amused smile quirking up the sides of his mouth.

"Isn't online shopping something you kinda do alone?"

"Not today. Do you have any idea how awful it's been in there? Jazz went into full protective-mode last night, and now he's got the whole house tensed up like a spring. And every five minutes, he or Edward or Jacob is asking me where Cyrus is, if he's changed his plans, blah, blah, blah. It's driving me crazy!" she whispered in an undertone to us. "I'm in desperate need of retail therapy, and Leah's in even more desperate need of a new wardrobe."

"Thanks, Alice. I appreciate that," I muttered, and she gave me a sparkling grin.

"Don't be like Bella, Leah. This'll be fun!"

She dragged me into the living room, pushed me down onto the couch, and shoved a lime green laptop into my hands. The screen was already open to some high end store with clothes I could never dream of buying, but I figured there'd be no harm in looking. It wasn't like I was going to let Alice buy any of them for me.

Jacob barely looked up from the Barbie video game he was playing with Nessie. "Hey, Alice. Anything new with our leech friend?"

She sighed, concentrated for a second, then shook her head. "Still planning on heading north-east. Just like the last hundred times I've checked."

"That's what I like to hear. Ness- go into that building. I think we can get new pets in there..."

I looked over at Embry, smirking, and he rolled his eyes with amused exasperation before heading off to the kitchen. Jasper wandered in and sat down with a book close to Alice, but he didn't seem to be paying much attention to it. His eyes kept scanning the yard through the windows, like he was expecting Cyrus to jump through the trees at any moment. I could totally understand how that'd get people on edge, even without his mojo skills.

Alice had already picked out two outfits by the time Seth ambled into the house and flopped himself down at my feet.

"So, what's up, sis? You said we needed to talk," he asked casually, and I could feel everyone's attention instantly targeting me. I sighed and shut the laptop.

"Mom got fired today. Because she's marrying Charlie Swan."

"_What_? No way!" Jacob exploded, and the controller in his hand disintegrated into tiny pieces.

"Dude, put the electronics down before you freak out," said Embry, wandering back from the kitchen and patting his stomach in a satisfied way.

Seth looked shell-shocked. "But that's... why would they do that?"

"Because Charlie Swan is Bella's father. And Bella willingly chose to become one of us," Edward answered quietly from the door. Bella hid slightly behind him, and anyone could see she was piling heaps of guilt on herself again. That girl just loved to be a martyr.

"Those arrogant, pig-headed, close-minded-" Jacob ranted, rising to his feet like he was about to sprint to La Push and beat some sense into the elders.

"Oh, cut the hysterics, princess," I snorted, annoyed. "She's better off out of there, anyway. It'll work out better for her and Charlie, especially if she can work at the Forks hospital again."

"That won't be a problem. Your mother is an excellent nurse," Carlisle assured me quietly from the stairs.

Esme stood behind him, wringing her hands anxiously. "That poor woman. How did she take it?"

I glanced over at Embry, and we both grimaced to each other at the memory of my mother, drinking brandy and swearing. "Not so great at first," I admitted. "But she thinks it'll be better, too. I just wanted to let you all know about it now. You know, for her sake. And I'm supposed to find out what openings the hospital has."

"I'll go write up a list of anything she might be interested in," Carlisle promised swiftly, and I nodded my thanks. He and Esme disappeared back upstairs, and there was a long awkward silence.

"Uh, here's another controller, Jakie," Nessie finally said, timidly offering a new controller, still in the packaging, to him. He glanced down at her, sighed, and plopped down to rip open the plastic. Seth just leaned back against the couch, his eyes glued to the screen, but his brain obviously miles away. Poor Seth. He just wasn't capable of being cruel, so he couldn't fathom how anyone else could, either. I hoped he could stay that way his entire life.

Alice and I clicked away, and she seemed intensely thrilled that not only did I have decent taste in clothing, but that I actually enjoyed shopping almost as much as she did once I got started. Of course, that may have made the end result just that much more of a nasty surprise.

Before she could hit the 'check out' button, I quickly exited the screen, completely losing everything we'd spent the last hour or so picking out. Her sudden wail made everyone in the room jump.

"_Leah_! What did you just do? We lost everything- we're going to have to redo it _all!_"

"No, we're not," I told her calmly. "C'mon, Alice. I couldn't even afford a pair of socks from that place! And before you say anything, you're _not _buying them for me. I wouldn't wear them if you did. I'd burn them, rip holes in them, you name it."

She stared at me, wide eyed, and I was thankful she couldn't actually cry. "But... but... _Leah!_" she moaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Hey, shopping's the fun part, right?" I cajoled her, but she merely shook her head. "Look, you can come to the Thrift 'n More with me sometime, and I swear I'll actually buy something."

The horrified shudder she gave was so comically genuine that I had to laugh.

"Hey, Alice, what's Cyrus up to?" Jake asked casually, and she would've thrown the laptop at his head if I hadn't clung on to it. I kind of liked that shade of green.

She screwed up her face to concentrate, grumbling. "For goodness sake, I've been doing this all day, and nothing's ever cha- Oh, god!"

Her eyes flew open, horrified, and immediately everyone's attention was riveted onto her frozen frame. Bella, Edward, Carlisle, and Esme crowded around the couch so quickly it seemed like they'd appeared out of thin air, and the three Wolf boys hovered, tensed and ready.

Jasper gripped Alice's shoulder tightly. "What is it? What do you see?"

Alice shook her head, concentrated hard, then shook her head again. "_Nothing. _I see nothing! Everything about his future has gone completely blank!"

"That's bad! That's really, really bad!" Bella moaned, clutching Edward's hand.

"Jakie? What's going on?" Nessie piped up in a trembling voice. Jake swung her quickly up into his massive arms.

"We don't know, Nessie-honey. How long since he changed his mind? When's the last time you checked on him?" he demanded Alice.

"Almost two hours ago... when Leah and Embry first came inside," she said in a quiet whisper.

"Meaning he could be here already," Jasper exclaimed, jumping up to peer out the windows worriedly. Jake, Seth, and Embry began to stride to the door, but I stood up and put out my hands to stop them.

"Wait, c'mon people. Let's not overreact. Just because Alice can't see him doesn't mean he's going to attack," I implored them. "He might just have decided to come back here and learn more about us, or... or who knows what! Besides, if he's planning to hunt, then he'd be heading to the rez, not here. Sam's Pack's on high alert. He's not going to get in or find one of them alone."

"Leah's right. Let's not assume anything here," Carlisle added. In answer, Jake whipped his cell phone out of his back pocket and swiftly dialed a number.

"Shit. Sam must be phased," he muttered after a tense moment, then redialed. "Emily. This is Jake. You need to let Sam know that Alice can't see Cyrus anymore. We don't know where he's at or what he's planning." All of us could hear Emily's voice, shrill with worry, before he spoke again. "My Pack's all here except Quil. Make sure he doesn't leave the rez. And don't let anyone near the border alone. I'll let you know when we know something more."

He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket with a grim expression, heading for the front door again. Automatically, the entire Pack followed him.

"Wait, Jacob," Carlisle called. "Won't it be safer if you don't shift? You should stay in the house..."

"No, we're heading back to the rez. Leah's right. If he _is_ headed here for a hunt, he'll go to La Push. And we can't let Sam's Pack have all the fun," Jake answered harshly as he yanked open the door.

Instantly, a faint, icy smell wrinkled our noses, sharper and stronger than any of the vamps standing behind us. Older, and infinitely more intense. And we weren't the only ones to notice, either. Jasper jumped in front of Alice, pushing her back from the door towards the stairs with Esme. Bella swung Nessie into her arms protectively, and the little girl clung to her mother's neck with wide, confused eyes. Her senses were weaker than ours; she couldn't smell the intruder. Edward whispered hurried instructions to Bella in a low murmur that no one else could make out, and she nodded without taking her eyes off the empty lawn.

In front of me, Jake shuddered and heaved, and his russet skin rippled with the force of the monster within him fighting for release. I trembled wildly, recognizing the scent as if it was burned in my memory, and had to fight the urge to cower behind Embry's broad form standing protectively at my left shoulder.

Carlisle moved slowly to stand next to Jake at the doorway. "Don't shift, Jacob. Back up, into the house. Let's see what he wants first," he murmured quietly, always the peace maker. Personally, I wanted us to shift, to find the freaky creep and rip him into tiny little shreds. It certainly would've made me feel a lot better.

The look Jacob shot Carlisle made it evident that he felt the same way, but there was no arguing with the fact that Carlisle, in general, had better ideas than us. Slowly, with deep, shuddering breaths, we backed up into the living room in a tight group, shoulder to shoulder as one unit. I kept my position just behind Jake's right shoulder, with Embry tight against my left side. Seth stood just behind us, and predictably, he was the calmest of our Pack.

"He's coming to the house, Carlisle," Edward said quietly. "It seems like... he wants to talk to you."

Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment just as Cyrus' lean frame detached itself from the trees. He had his hands nonchalantly buried in the pockets of his black pants, whistling quietly, the perfect picture of casual indifference.

"Ah, Carlisle! Just the vampire I was hoping to see!" he said in a politely cheerful voice. "You are buried in the middle of nowhere, aren't you?"

"Is there something I can help you with, Cyrus?" Carlisle asked just as politely as Edward and Jasper moved up to flank him, effectively blocking the inside of the house, and therefore us, from his view.

"Yes, indeed. I'd like to talk to you, if it's not too much trouble," the blond vamp replied. "And there's no point in trying to hide the Wolves. I know there are three males standing in your living room, along with the female."

Embry snarled ferociously next to me, and Jake's entire frame vibrated with tremors. Bella inched up the stairs with Nessie, keeping a wary eye on us, and I couldn't blame her. Edward and Jasper stood shoulder to shoulder and continued to block the doorway as Cyrus strolled up the porch steps.

"Relax, gentlemen. I'm not here to start a fight. That's not my style," he told them with a smile that showed all his glittering teeth. "I spoke the truth when I said I was here to talk, Carlisle. Shall we?"

Carlisle glanced over his shoulder at our group, quickly assessing our level of control, and Jake gave him a tight nod. Cyrus wasn't likely to start trouble; unless he was suicidal, he wouldn't make any attack in a house with a full Pack and six vampires. Edward and Jasper stepped slowly away from the doorway, allowing him to pass, but their eyes stayed trained on his lithe frame as he slid inside.

He moved with a sinewy grace, and it was easy to see just how deadly an oppenent he could make. His gaze was critical and appraising as it swept over the Pack, very much like a hunter assessing it's prey. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up as his scarlet-rimmed eyes locked onto mine and his lips curved up into a frightening parody of a smile. Nose flaring, he breathed in deeply.

"Interesting. Two Packs. That certainly explains a lot," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone. We stood our ground as he glided over to one of the chairs and sat down calmly like he was a frequent visitor instead of a potential threat. Carlisle copied him, but Edward and Jasper drifted over to stand by the steps. Both of them kept their attention trained on the blond vamp, and I knew they were using their talents to read him.

Cyrus looked up at the steps with a genteel smile, so different from the one he gave me. "Such a pleasure to see you again, ladies," he said to Alice and Bella, as if our last meeting had been a pleasant one. They both scowled at him, but Carlisle spoke up before either could answer him.

"Yes, they told me all about your meeting last night," he said, with a note of accusation in his clear voice.

"Ah, yes. I fear I may have frightened the Lady Wolf," Cyrus replied casually, but his eyes locked onto me again, hard and predatory. "But can you blame me, Carlisle? Such an exquisite phenomenon! A female Wolf! I've never seen anything like it in all my years."

"Yes. Leah is certainly unique," Carlisle answered tightly, his fingers steepled under his chin as he watched Cyrus narrowly.

"Leah," he breathed quietly, and then gave a low laugh. "It seems you breed uniqueness here. You should be grateful Aro knows nothing about her. Rarest of the rare- what a pet she would make!"

Red rage blinded me. _Pet_, my ass!! My god, it was a miracle I didn't phase and go for the kill right there!

But perhaps the _bigger _miracle was that none of the rest of my Pack did, either. Jacob moved so all I could see was his heaving, rippling back, blocking me from the vamp's view with a guttural snarl. Even Seth growled and stepped up next to me. Embry seemed like he was struggling the hardest, though. Tremors rocked him as he crowded so close to me that I couldn't tell if I was shaking from his touch or my own need to shift. His breaths came out in ragged snarls, and his dark eyes locked onto the vamp with a frighteningly black fury. I wormed my fingers into his fist and squeezed, willing him to calm down before he exploded out of his skin.

I couldn't see what was going on anymore, thanks to being hedged in on all sides by the boys, but I could hear Carlisle attempting to diffuse the situation.

"The Wolves are not pets, or any other form of servants. They are our friends and family. Equals," he explained firmly. "You must understand that we will not tolerate anyone treating them as less than that, Cyrus."

"And you feel the same about the other Pack?"

"Most definitely. They stood with us at the risk of their lives. We would do nothing less for them," replied Carlisle calmly, and the implication in his voice left no room for doubt. I poked Jake in the back, wishing he'd move so I could see what was going on. He didn't even acknowledge my finger digging into his ribs, and I scowled in defeat.

"Ah, that was what I was afraid of," Cyrus sighed, and I could hear the swish of fabric as he stood up.

"You not going to hunt the Wolves?" Edward suddenly asked sharply, responding to an unspoken thought.

"No. As tempting as the thought is, I have no desire to make enemies of your entire Coven. A pity, really. I haven't had a decent hunt in over a hundred years, and your Wolves would have made glorious prey. Their scent alone... such an intoxicating mix of feral lethality."

"We appreciate your restraint," said Carlisle as they headed to the front door. "But it may be best if you leave the area immediately. It would be a pity if circumstances caused you to change your mind."

I could see them now, through the space between Seth and Jake's bodies, and Cyrus' narrowed eyes bored into mine. I shivered at the cold, possessively predatory look he swept over me.

"Indeed. A great pity," he murmured, that frightening smile pulling at the hard edges of his mouth again. He gave Carlisle a brief nod, then disappeared down the steps and into the trees in a blink of a second.

In the heavy silence that followed, I slowly began to notice the painful sensation of having the bones in my left fingers crushed in a vice. Or rather, Embry's hand. I tried to pull away uselessly and grimaced.

"Um, Tank? Ouch..."

He looked down, confused, and then quickly loosened his death grip. His ears turned red, and he mumbled an apology as I experimentally flexed my fingers.

Carlisle shut the door and turned back to look at Edward. "What do you think? Can we trust him?"

"He seemed honest," Edward replied, frowning. "He wants to hunt them, there's no doubt about that, but he feels the risk to himself may be too great. He doesn't like the odds with us being on their side."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "He felt... resigned. Still, I don't trust him, not until he's a good distance away." His eyes slid over to me for a brief second, then back to Carlisle. "He wanted the hunt too badly to give it up easily."

"I can see him again," Alice suddenly announced as she bounded down the stairs to Jasper's side. "He's going to head north-east, just like he'd been planning before."

"Thank god," Esme breathed in a slightly shaky voice. All of us jumped and whipped around as the sliding glass doors leading to the backyard were opened with a thump.

Emmett and Rosalie strolled in, obliviously hand in hand, and stopped short at the sight of all of us.

"_Now_ what did I miss?" Emmett demanded as we all sighed with relief.

"Our friend Cyrus just paid us a visit. You missed him by ten minutes," Edward told him with a little smirk. Emmett groaned and threw himself down on the couch.

"Man! I miss everything! I told you we should've come back earlier, Rose!"

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't hear you complaining an hour ago. So what happened? He wasn't stupid enough to try anything, was he?"

"No. And at least for the moment, it seems like he's leaving the area," replied Carlisle, moving over to sink down into one of the chairs.

None of the Pack had moved yet, still taking deep breaths to calm the last of the tremors. I was silently grateful for the excuse to stay wedged up to Embry's rock-solid form as I tried to forget about the way Cyrus' scarlet rimmed eyes had pierced into me.

"Anybody hungry?" Esme suddenly asked brightly, in an obvious attempt to lighten the atmosphere. It worked partially, because Seth laughed.

"Do you even have to ask?" he demanded jokingly as he headed after her into the kitchen.

"Yeah. Food. Good idea," Jake agreed. Nessie reached out for him, and Bella handed her over as they followed Esme and Seth. I tried not to make it too obvious that I was staying as close to Embry as possible as we joined them, but if he noticed, he didn't mind. In fact, if I took a step away from him, he moved to follow me, like a shadow of a shadow.

We stayed latched to each other's side for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, until Jake decided it was safe enough for us to head back to La Push. I'd never hated needing to walk away from the boys to strip and shift as much as I did that night. A panicky sense of being vulnerable attacked me the minute Embry was out of my sight, despite Alice's reassurances that Cyrus was already miles away heading north into Canada. I was disgusted at my pathetic weakness, but that didn't stop me from tearing off my clothes at breakneck speed.

The border was heavily guarded by Sam's Pack, but they hardly acknowledged us as we passed through. None of us wasted any time phasing back to our human forms, and Seth bounded inside our house with hardly a backwards glance. I hesitated on the front step, part of me longing to ask Embry not to leave, and the other part refusing to let myself look that pathetic. Still, I couldn't stop myself from glancing back at him as he stood half hidden in the trees, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his raggedy cut-offs.

"So... see you tomorrow?" I asked, attempting to sound indifferently casual. I was absurdly happy that I managed to keep the tremor out of my voice.

His grin flashed in the dim light of the moon. "Absolutely. 'Night, B."

I nodded to him, and half-opened the door while he melted away into the shadows. The sudden stab of emptiness and unease the moment he was out of sight unnerved me, and I quickly shut and locked the door.

A hot shower and a few endless hours later, I knew I was in for another night of sleepless pacing. It didn't matter that logically I knew I was perfectly safe, or how many lectures I gave myself about being weak and pathetic. I couldn't get those scarlet rimmed eyes out of my head, or the feel of those icy fingers on my skin, or, worst of all, the thought I had been helpless to save myself from my deadliest enemy. It sickened me, tortured me, until I couldn't stand being alone in my head anymore.

I couldn't stand being alone in my room anymore, either. I needed company. More specifically, I needed _Embry_. And I really wasn't interested in thinking too deeply about why that was. I just knew I felt better, stronger, _safer_, when he was with me, and I desperately needed that right now.

Quietly, I eased my way out of my window and sprinted the short distance to Embry's house. It stood still and silent in the darkness, and I slipped around to his open window. I could see him sprawled out on his back, his massive body taking up most of the small single bed, and I just watched him for a moment, unsure. He wouldn't be angry with me, would he? I _needed _him.

"Tank?" I whispered hesitantly through the screen to his snoring form.

In less than three seconds, he'd yanked the screen out and hauled me through the window onto his bed. I didn't even know it was possible for him to move that fast.

"Leah! What's wrong?" he exclaimed as I landed in a tumbled heap halfway across his lap. Mortified, I struggled to straighten myself out, and the big hands on my arms weren't helping my equilibrium any.

"Nothing. I, uh... I just couldn't sleep," I mumbled, unable to look up at his face.

"Oh," he breathed out with a gusty sigh of relief, but his hands didn't drop away from my arms. Maybe that was the reason my resolve cracked, crumbled, and fell away.

"Can I stay here with you?" I asked him, looking up at his deep chocolate eyes pleadingly. He just stared at me, dumbfounded, for a minute, and I had the sudden, intense urge to crawl under his bed and die.

Face burning, I made a move to climb back out his window. "Sorry. Nevermind. I'll just..."

"Whoa, wait, B. I thought you wanted to stay," he said quickly, and his strong hands pulled me back down to the bed again.

I bit my lip and refused to meet his eyes. "No, I just.... I had some temporary insanity, and I-"

But I was cut off when he suddenly pulled me forward as he laid back down and wrapped his arms around me. I would've protested more, but the way my head fitted perfectly into the hollow beneath his shoulder felt too good to ignore. Not to mention how calming his heart beating under my ear sounded, too.

"Couldn't sleep again?" he asked casually, and I frowned into the warm skin under my cheek.

"How'd you know I didn't sleep last night?"

"I, uh- you seemed really tired today. You know, sleeping in Molly this morning and all," he replied quickly. I shrugged, thinking that sounded plausible enough. It felt natural and right, and wonderfully sweet, when he ran a hand lightly through my hair and down my cheek.

"It's okay to talk to me. Open up- let me help," he whispered.

I swallowed hard against the lump that suddenly wedged itself in my throat. My first response was the need to pull away from him, insist that there was nothing wrong and I didn't- and would never- need his help. But really, considering I'd woken him up in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep made that reaction kind of ludicrous.

Besides which, I _was _scared. And the smooth, hot skin under my cheek and the strong, gentle arms wrapped snuggly around me made me want to bury my face in his chest and cry until I'd let it all out.

I settled for snaking my arms around his waist in a death grip instead.

"He could've killed me, Tank," I finally whispered, so quietly I wasn't sure if he could even hear me. "He could've done whatever he wanted, and I wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing about it. I'm too weak, and too pathetic..."

Embry's hold on my tightened, and he bent his neck to rest his cheek on my hair. "You're not weak, Leah. You're not, don't think that. If you were weak, you would've shifted in that nightclub and hurt a lot of innocent people. But you didn't. And I don't know how you did that- I nearly lost control today. You're strong."  
I shook my head, but I didn't answer him. I didn't want him to hear how close I was to crying from my voice. He sighed, his hands rubbing warm circles on my back.

"Look, Leah, any of the rest of us would've been just as bad off in a one on one fight with that guy, especially somewhere we couldn't phase. He's just flat-out tougher than us. Individually, anyway. I'd love to take him on as a Pack."

"Me, too," I mumbled in a small voice and felt, rather than saw, Embry smile.

"You aren't weak, B. And you're definitely not pathetic. You just got caught off-guard, and in a bad situation. You're not going to let that happen again, and neither are any of us. So can you stop beating yourself up about it now?"

"Probably not," I muttered into his chest. He sighed heavily in an unhappy way, and I found myself adding a hasty and unwilling, "But I'll try."

I felt him smile again in response, and that was good enough for me. I was supremely comfortable, lying there half on top of him while his hands rubbed my back in large circles, and the heat radiating off of him made me feel warm and drowsy. My sleepy brain was starting to make some serious plans for staying there forever.

I'd already slipped into a light doze when Embry nudged me carefully.

"Not that I want you to leave- 'cause I don't- but you do realize Sam's still having you followed, right?" he asked me quietly. "Meaning, they're all going to know if you stay here."

"Honestly, I couldn't care less," I replied sleepily. "Unless you do, I mean."

His chuckle vibrated under my ear. "Not a chance. Besides, getting the hottest chick in La Push to sleep in my room'll make me look even more awesome than I am. Which is saying something."

Lazily, I reached an arm up to smack him in the head, but he blocked my measly attempt easily. Suddenly, I remembered something that made me scowl heavily.

"Crap. I totally forgot to kick Jake's ass today," I muttered, annoyed. "Stupid Alice and her shopping distracted me!"

Embry burst out laughing, and I quickly slapped a pillow over his face to muffle it. I had no plans on clueing his mom in to the fact that I was in bed with her only son, no matter how innocent the whole thing really was.

Once he calmed down, I snuggled back into my comfortable position and promptly began to drift to sleep again. I felt so incredibly safe, like everything was okay in the world, when he wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

"You are the best person in the world, Embry," I mumbled just before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

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**PS: **_Happy Birthday, dress up romance xx!! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! _


	15. Getting Closer

**Getting Closer**

**AN: **_Sorry it's taken so long to update! Work, work, work!! This is a shorter, kind of filler chapter, but some relationship stuff happens, and some LEMBRY FLUFF! Mmm, fluff! Hope you all enjoy it...  
__**THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART**__ to each and every one of the incredible people who took the time to leave me a review. You guys are pure inspiration- PLEASE keep it up!! Thanks also to everyone who's put this story on Favorites or Alerts. It's nice to know you're interested!!  
Usual disclaimers, etc._

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I woke up slowly as a patch of sunlight peeked around the corner of the shade and hit me squarely in the face. I would've moved, but I didn't want to disturb Embry, so I merely squeezed my eyes shut and pouted with annoyance instead. This was the sixth night in a row I'd snuck over to Embry's house and snuggled up to him, claiming I couldn't sleep. Which was true, but it was also becoming a habit alarmingly quickly. Thank god he didn't seem to mind it, or even to question it. The last few nights, he'd had the screen out and was waiting for me before I'd even gotten to his window. All I'd had to do was climb inside and snuggle up.

I suppose I should've been self-conscious about how my tanktop had ridden up to show my midriff, but Embry's calloused hand on my smooth skin felt really... _nice_. The way my bare legs tangled up with his did, too. And I kind of liked the way his face was buried in my hair, despite the fact that he snored loud enough to vibrate the window panes.

Yep, without a doubt, he was definitely my favorite, enormous, teddy bear.

It wasn't long before I heard the unmistakable sounds of Embry's mom getting up and heading for the shower, and I sighed. Time to get moving if I wanted to get home without being caught- by his mother _or _mine. Somehow I didn't think either one would approve of my new sleeping arrangements.

It took a little manouevring to untangle myself from Embry- seriously, the man turned into a giant squid when he was sleeping- but as usual, he rolled onto his stomach as I was climbing out the window and kept snoring without a hitch. What was it with Wolf boys and sleeping like the freakin' dead?

It looked like Brady had gotten the night shift last night on Leah-babysitting duty, and he trotted through the woods dutifully after me now. It took a lot of self-control not to phase and kick his sorry, furry butt into next Tuesday, but the fact that it really wasn't his idea of a good time, either, stopped me. I'd had a knock-down drag-out fight with Jacob over it, but he had, in his infinite Alpha wisdom, decided that keeping his nose out of Sam's orders in La Push would be better over-all for Pack to Pack relations. Which meant that I got to endure being baby-sat for the foreseeable future.

Oh, _joy_.

As silently as possible, I slid back through my open window into my quiet, empty bedroom.

"_Ahem_."

The quiet, but distinctly annoyed and completely unexpected sound scared me witless and sent me sprawling face first over a pile of dirty laundry. Apparently, my room was a whole lot less empty than I'd thought.

Sheepishly, I looked up from my impromptu close-up inspection of the dusty carpet at Seth, leaning against my doorframe with his muscled arms crossed tightly over his chest. He quirked an eyebrow at me as I hastily scrambled back to my feet feeling like a fifteen year old getting caught sneaking in.

"What're you doing in my room, Seth?" I demanded irritably in an attempt to cover my embarrassment.

"What were _you _doing out of it?" he shot back. I stuck my nose in the air as haughtily as I could.

"None of your business. What difference does it make to you, anyway?"

Now it was his turn to look sheepish. "Well... it's not, really. But you keep sneaking out, and I'm just... you know... worried."

"Oh, for god's sake," I groaned, rolling my eyes as I brushed past him on my way to the shower. "What kind of trouble can I possibly get in when Sam's having me followed everywhere?"

"That's not really the kind of trouble I'm worried about..." he muttered, and I slammed the bathroom door in his face. Honestly, since when did my life become his concern?

I was still annoyed after my long shower, partly at myself for being caught, and partly at Seth for being so... so _brotherly_. Wrapped only in a towel that barely came down to my thighs, I stomped back to my bedroom and stood there for a moment, debating what crappy outfit I was going to throw on for the day. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Brady's shaggy reflection on the edge of my mirror, and it looked like he was stealthily creeping closer to get a better look!

My first instinct was to scream obscenities at him right before slamming my shade closed. But then I had another thought, probably due to the sheer irritation of a week of being followed. If I played this right, I could get him into a whole dump truck full of trouble, and maybe, just maybe, Sam would cut the whole 'bodyguard' thing altogether.

Careful not to let anything really private show, I reached my arms over my head and stretched slowly, leaning a little bit side to side like I was just getting the kinks out of my back. I could see Brady's reflection creeping cautiously nearer, and I propped one leg up on my bed and picked up a bottle of lotion. Surreptitiously, I made sure my towel covered anything really important while exposing my bronze leg from hipbone to toes as I rubbed the creamy liquid into my skin. The shaggy Wolf outside crept as close to the treeline as he dared, and I worked hard not to laugh. Oh ho, when Sam caught those mental images, Brady was going to be in a world of hurt...

An angry, sharp howl nearly made me fall over and lose my towel just as I switched to the second leg. Luckily, I was quick enough to grab it before the joke was on me, and I straightened up to glance swiftly out of the window. Brady, I was satisfied to see, had shot back into the shadows like someone had smacked him on the nose with a red hot poker. And it served him right, too. The pervert.

Shade now firmly closed, I tapped my foot with impatience as I surveyed my pathetically minimal (and hopelessly boring) wardrobe. Darn it, Alice's little online almost- shopping spree had ruined me. What I wouldn't give to have a closet like hers...

Sighing, I flung the contents of my dresser onto the floor and sifted through it dejectedly. My bright red string bikini caught my eye, and I held it up curiously. Would I still fit decently into it? It seemed like my curves had filled back out nicely...

Quickly, I slipped it on and stood up to scrutinize myself in the mirror. Yep, my curves were back, and then some. Hm... I didn't look half bad, really. Suddenly, an idea hit me, and I quickly yanked on a short pair of faded cut-offs and rushed out the door.

Embry had done a thousand and one nice things for me in the last few months, and I hadn't done anything to repay him yet. Selfish, evil me! But seeing as I already had my bikini on and everything...

Grinning, I dialed Embry's cell number as I headed out to my garage.

"'Sup, B?" his deep voice drawled into my ear after a minute.

"Hey, are you already at Jake's?" I asked him quickly, frowning as I stared into the murky gloom of the garage.

"Just got out of the shower, actually. Why?"

Oddly, I had the strangest, most vivid mental image of beads of water sliding over his toned, bronzed abs, and I had trouble making my mouth work. Where the hell had _that _come from?

"B? You there?" Embry asked, confused. I shook my head viciously to clear it of any lingering moments of insanity.

"Yeah. Bring your car to Jake's, okay?" I answered, and hoped that he didn't notice my voice sounding a little strange.

"Oookay. Why?"

"It's a surprise," I replied, and huffed at his skeptical silence. "Just do it, alright?"

"Sure, sure. See you in a bit," he answered, laughing a little as he hung up.

It took me a while to find all my supplies, but I still beat Embry to the Black's house. Jake was just coming out of his front door as I trudged up the driveway loaded down with all my gear.

"Uh... hey, Leah. What's with all the buckets? And the... the, you know- bikini? Not that it looks bad or anything," he added hastily, and I had to give him a tiny bit of credit for _trying _to be tactful.

"Gonna wash Tank's car," I huffed, dragging my buckets of supplies past him toward the shed. "A _nice _guy would help me out with this stuff. And bring me the hose."

Smirking, Jake sauntered around the building and came back lugging the hose over his shoulder while I dumped my stuff on the ground with a relieved sigh. Not that it'd been heavy or anything- just awkward to haul around.

"Oh, did you hear Sam howl a while ago? He sounded really pissed off," Jake asked as he dropped the hose at my feet. I carefully kept my face neutral and gave an innocent shrug.

"Huh. Wonder what it was about," he muttered, then gave me a casual wave as he headed into the trees to shift. "See you later at the Cullens? Or are you guys just gonna meet up with us at the bonfire tonight?"

"Bonfire?" I squeaked. _Crap_! I'd forgotten all about that... with everything that'd happened, I'd just totally pushed it out of my brain. Jake stopped walking to turn around and give me a strange look, and I did my best to look indifferent.

"I'm not sure what our plans are, honestly. But we'll be at the bonfire for sure," I told him. He looked doubtfully at me for another moment before shaking his head.

"Just remember not to leave La Push alone," he reminded me before heading into the trees. I scowled after him, not even bothering to reply. Even though Cyrus was now wandering around someplace in Canada, according to Alice, we were all a little more on edge than we wanted to admit. But besides that...

_Dammit! _How could I have possibly forgotten that stupid bonfire was tonight? And now that stupid trick I'd played on Brady this morning was going to make seeing Sam face to face again just that much more awkward... Yeah, this was turning into not my best day ever.

The sound of Embry's car crunching up the driveway pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned around, hands on my hips, to face him. He climbed out and just stood there for a long moment with the same dumbfounded look on his face as when Alice had given me that make-over.

"Did you remember about the bonfire tonight?" I asked him when it became apparent he wasn't going to talk any time soon.

He blinked, looking vacant. "Bonfire?"

"Yeah, the big Pack one," I sighed. "I'd forgotten all about it."

"Oh, right. That's tonight?" he asked, but he sounded like his brain was wrapped up in something else entirely. I scowled at him.

"Hello? Tank? What's with you?"

He blinked and suddenly swung his eyes away into the trees, staring hard. "Sorry. Just, uh, thinking..." he muttered. "So, uh, what'd you need my car for?"

"What, the buckets and hose didn't give it away? I'm gonna wash it for you," I replied with an amused snort.

"_Oh_. Well, that explains the, uh- your outfit."

I frowned at him, confused. "Well, yeah..."

"Right. Okay. I'll just, you know, work on Molly or whatever, then. Yeah."

He scurried past me into the dim shed, and I couldn't help noticing how bright red his ears were as he passed me. What the hell was _wrong _with him today?

Shrugging, I flung open all the doors on his black Ford and got to work. It took me more than an hour to clean out the inside of it, and I'd begun to wish I'd brought a pair of thick, elbow high rubber gloves.

"This is _disgusting_, Tank. Seriously, how can you stand it?" I demanded on more than one occasion. He just laughed at me and turned the music on louder.

I concentrated hard on scrubbing the grime away and did my best not to worry about the dreaded bonfire. How the hell could I have possibly forgotten about it? Oh, right. I'd spent the entire last week jumping at every little noise and looking over my shoulder for a pair of terrifying, red-rimmed eyes.

On the upside, it didn't seem like I'd gotten a replacement bodyguard since Brady'd slunk off in disgrace this morning. I giggled to myself, unbelievably ecstatic that at least one thing was going right, and sloshed soapy water onto the hood of the car (and myself) with more enthusiasm than was necessary. That's what I was wearing the bikini for, right?

Who gave a shit about some stupid bonfire, anyway? Sam could take his precious imprinted love and shove it where the sun don't shine as far as I was concerned. Imprinted love- who'd want that?

I ignored the little niggling voice telling me that _I _would, in a heartbeat, and made myself live in the now. And right now, I was having a dang good time washing Embry's car. Some stupid song was blaring out of the little CD player in the shed, and I bopped and danced and sprayed the hose randomly, soaking myself as much as the car in the process.

"_They call me hell, they call me Stacy.  
They call me her, they call me Jane  
That's not my name! That's not my name!__  
They call me Quiet Girl, but I'm a riot!  
Maybe Joleisa, always the same-  
That's not my name! That's not my name!"_

It was definitely one of the more bizarre songs I'd ever heard, but man was it catchy!

"Hey, Tank! Play that one again!" I shouted when it was over, then turned around when there was no response. He was just standing there, which a wrench dangling from his loose fingers, staring at me with his mouth half open in an astounded sort of way.

What the hell? Okay, so I was hardly Susie Sunshine, but was it really that strange to see me having a good time? Although, maybe he was just amazed at how soaked I'd managed to get everything, including myself, within a fifteen foot radius of the car.

"I was having fun," I started to explain. "But your car's clean. See?"

I pointed at the dripping- but gleaming- old Ford, and he came forward slowly to get a better look. I was insanely conscious of the heat radiating off of his bare chest when he reached my side; it made my skin prickle altogether too deliciously.

"Looks good. Really, really good," his deep voice rumbled. I glanced up at him from the corner of my eye and swallowed hard when I saw that he was actually looking at me instead of the car. My stomach suddenly seemed inhabited by a whole flock of butterflies, and to my annoyance, I started to feel a little wobbly in the knees.

"Tank..." I started quietly, but then stopped and nibbled nervously on my bottom lip. What was I trying to say? There was a whole lot of powerful... _something_ going on between us right now, but I had zero clue what it was. I just knew that he was standing right there, and I had a really strong urge to step a little closer and... and _what_? Feel those rock-solid muscles under my curious fingers? Press my dripping body up to his to steal away some of the crazy heat he always radiated?

His eyes burned with intensity when they met my own, filled with some undefinable longing and need. It scared the hell out of me.

Stepping back hastily, I brought the hose up and sprayed him right in the face with a smirk. He gasped and spluttered, spinning away from my attack quickly.

"Oh, you've done it now, B. You're going down," he exclaimed laughingly as he shook the water out of his eyes.

"You're talking awful big, considering I'm the one with the hose," I taunted, and sprayed him again. He charged me and made a grab for the it, both of us slipping and sliding in the wet mud under our bare feet and laughing uproarously. That intense moment of whatever-it-was between us was completely forgotten as we fought an epic battle for the hose until we were both dripping and covered in mud.

"Oh, man! Look at your car!" I moaned after we'd both slipped and landed on our butts for the umpteenth time. My gleaming masterpiece was splattered and coated, and I pouted in annoyance. Embry lazily aimed the hose at the mud from where he lounged on the ground.

"There. All better," he announced cheerfully when it was relatively cleaned off, then looked me up and down with a smirk. "I think you could use some rinsing off, too."

"Look who's talking," I snorted as I climbed to my feet and swiped half-heartedly at the mud on my legs. Embry stayed where he was, just watching me, and I got that weird, pleasantly prickly feeling again.

"I'm, uh, gonna go shower now," I mumbled, blushing underneath his stare. He blinked twice and shook his head side to side a few times.

"Shower. Excellent idea," he replied. He swung easily to his feet, and we headed off to our separate houses quickly after agreeing to meet at the border for a run to the Cullens'.

"Jeez, Leah. Get a grip on yourself," I told myself firmly as I threw on a non-descript tanktop and shorts. "You probably just made the whole thing up, anyway. He probably doesn't even notice that you're a girl."

It seemed like I was right, because everything was completely status quo as we headed into the big, white house. Alice met us by the stairway, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank goodness, Leah! I was worried you weren't coming," she said breathlessly. "I've got the perfect outfit for you to wear tonight!"

She held up mid-riff baring tanktop and a tiny mini-skirt triumphantly, and I just stared at them in dumbfounded shock.

"Uh, Alice? I'm going to a bonfire, not the Playboy Mansion," I reminded her. She gave me a stern, annoyed look.

"I know that. You want to impress them, don't you?"

"Uh, not really," I answered honestly, and grimaced at the flimsy scraps of material she was still holding out to me. "At any rate, I doubt I'd impress anyone in that get-up."

"Trust me, you'd impress," Embry muttered, and I turned to glare at him, annoyed. He gave me an innocent shrug and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Fine. What were you planning on wearing, then?" Alice sighed, exasperated.

"This?" The word came out as more of a question than I'd intended it to as I gestured to my plain outfit, and Alice looked it over with a pained expression.

"Rose, we need some fashion advice here," she said, and immediately the Barbie vamp stood at her shoulder and looked me over critically.

"No, we don't," I insisted.

Rose just quirked an eyebrow, her mouth twisting. "Yes, you do. You can't go wearing that."

"Embry, help!" I pleaded quietly. He looked from me to the Vamps, then back to me.

"Sorry. Have fun."

I glared at him as Rose and Alice triumphantly grabbed my arms to haul me up the stairs. "Traitor," I mumbled to him, and he shrugged helplessly. Half-way to Alice's room, we met Bella.

"I think you look fine, Leah," she told me sincerely as she passed on her way down the stairs. I stopped dead still, horrified.

"Okay, you're right," I told the other two Vamp girls. "If she says it's fine, then I _definitely _need a new outfit."

"That's the truth," Rosalie muttered, quietly smirking while Alice sighed.

"Someday she'll come around. I'll _make _her come around. Thank god you've got better fashion sense than her, Leah."

This time, I didn't have any complaints when Alice locked me into her private salon for another make over. After all, I was going to be facing the La Push Pack tonight, and worse than that, I was going to be facing Sam and Emily, _together_. I needed every scrap of help I could get.

In the end, the three of us decided on a pair of short shorts and a quarter-sleeve black shirt with a deep scoop neckline that satisfied my need to not look too out of place and their obsession with dressing me in couture. Thankfully, they dropped their insistence on high-heeled shoes after I pointed out how absolutely ridiculous it would be to wear those on a beach and settled for a plain pair of flip-flops.

Alice disappeared to do who knew what, and I sat perfectly still in the plush salon chair, waiting for my nails to dry. A panicky feeling was gnawing at my insides more intensely as each minute passed, and my carefully cultivated sense of indifference and calm was definitely starting to crack. What had I been thinking, agreeing to go to this bonfire? I knew none of my Pack would even question me if I changed my mind, but my pride wasn't about to let me do that. I could take seeing Sam, I knew I could do that. It was the whole Emily and Sam together thing that I wasn't altogether so sure about.

"Worried?" Rosalie suddenly asked me from where she sat cross-legged on the floor painting her own nails.

"It's that obvious?" I sighed in defeat. She shrugged without looking up at me.

"Only a little. You know, you're going to make Sam really wish he'd never dumped you when he sees you in that outfit."

I snorted, but the sound was weaker than I would've liked. "No, he won't. Imprinted love, remember? He can't see anything besides _her._"

"Imprint or not, no man alive wouldn't notice you," she replied firmly. "I'd love to see how pissed off he'll get when he catches his Pack fantasizing about you..."

I burst out laughing at that, just remembering that sharp, angry bark this morning and how Brady had shot back into the trees.

Rosalie held up a hand to examine her perfect manicure. "At any rate, the guy's not worth your time. Really, Leah. Don't let him get to you."

"Yeah. That's easy to say, not so easy to do," I muttered, staring at the ceiling dejectedly.

"But you _can_ do it," she insisted. "You've come so far already."

I rolled my head a little to look down at her. "How about you? The whole accepting the things you can't have bit?"

"I'm working on it. It's getting easier, though," she said casually, like we were discussing the weather. I knew differently, though.

"We're kind of alike, you know. Both of us have to work for happiness," she murmured suddenly. Surprised by her words, I said nothing as she swiftly rose to her feet and examined our reflections critically in the mirror.

"Isn't it funny that the two darkest and most hurt of all of us are the most beautiful on the outside?" she asked, her voice hard and brittle with pained bitterness.

"Hm. And all we had to give up for that beauty is our mortality," I replied, the irony in my voice echoing hers. She laughed then, the sound like golden bells on a frigid winter morning.

"Yes, just that. And our dreams. What a pair we make."

"Chocolate and Vanilla," I reminded her, and we both grimaced at the memory of that horrific come-on.

"If Sam gives you any trouble, just let me know and I'll sic Emmett on him," she told me earnestly, a frighteningly serious smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth. I returned it with one of my own.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Nessie clattered into the room breathlessly then, putting a halt to our conversation.

"Aunt Leah, Jakie says it's time to leave for the bonfire, but you really don't have to come if you don't want too, and Aunt Alice says that you have to go because you look great, and Embry says he'll wait with you if you wanted to go later, and-"

"Whoa, breathe, Ness," I interrupted her, and she sucked in a great gulp of air obediently. "You can tell Jake I'm heading down right now, okay?"

She nodded and darted out of the room in a flash of bronze ringlets, and I heaved a sigh.

"Knock 'em dead, sister," Rosalie said with an encouraging smirk, and I gave her a grin.

"Remind me to talk Emmett into taking you on that Paris trip," I replied as we followed Nessie down the stairs.

Embry was waiting for me in the living room, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his old cut-offs. Frankly, I was surprised Alice hadn't insisted on dressing _him _up, too.

"You're sure you want to go, B? 'Cause we can just-"

I cut him off with a roll of my eyes. "_Yes_. I'm hungry- let's get moving. Maybe they'll have something better than hotdogs this time."

"You don't think there will be any trouble, do you?" Esme asked from where she hovered anxiously by the front door.

"I doubt it," Embry answered confidently. "They're supposed to be trying to convince us to come back to La Push, not kicking us out."

"At least, that's the theory, anyway," I added as we slipped outside. Just before we reached the trees, I turned back to give a quick wave at the entire Cullen family gathered to watch us leave. My stomach gave a weird jolt as I realized it felt like they were _my _family, too. As much a family as my own Pack was.

Embry and I didn't say much until we reached the edges of the beach and phased back. I caught up with him as soon as I was dressed, dangling my flip-flops from my fingers casually and attempting to look a whole lot less nervous than I felt. We could hear the loud, boisterous voices of the Pack, and we moved to the edge of the firelight quietly. A hand on my arm stopped me just before I stepped out of the shadows.

Embry's deep eyes bored into mine for a brief moment. "You really sure you want to do this?" he asked me seriously, and I could hear the concern in his voice. I swallowed hard.

"Yeah. It's not going to be a big deal," I assured him, then bit my lip anxiously. "You'll stay with me though, right?"

"Of course. Absolutely. And my offer to punch Sam still stands."

I laughed, and he reached out to squeeze my hand.

"Ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Ready."


	16. Burning

**Burning**

**AN: **_Sorry it's taken me so long to post (again). Standard excuses, etc, etc. At any rate, I hope someone out there's still reading this!  
**THANKS SO MUCH TO EACH AND EVERY REVIEWER!!!!!! **Again, you guys really are my inspiration, and I hope you like this chapter. It didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to, but oh well. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for leaving me a review! As always, comments, criticisms, questions, concerns, anything are all more than welcome!  
Typical Disclaimers, etc. _

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How was it that despite the noise and commotion around the enormous bonfire, Sam's eyes latched right onto me the moment Embry and I stepped out of the shadows? Or, more precisely, latched right onto our intertwined hands with a glare that should've burned a hole right through them. Pathetically, I froze on the spot like a guilty rabbit and panicked.

That reaction only lasted a fraction of a second, thankfully. After all, what right did he have to glare at _me _for an innocent hand-hold between friends when he had his arm draped over his _fiance_, for god's sake. I lifted my chin and glared haughtily back at him, daring him to say anything. I didn't belong to him anymore. I didn't belong to anybody, and dammit, I was going to pretend like everything that I _liked _it that way.

Even though I really felt more like running away when Emily whispered something to him and he turned to her with a look of complete adoration. My hand tightened around Embry's as I drew in a shaky breath, telling myself sternly to keep it together. The concern in his eyes as he glanced down at me was at odds with the casually calm smile on his face, and he quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Okay?" he murmured quietly, and I gave him a tiny, jerky nod.

"Yeah. I'm good," I answered reassuringly, but it was really more for myself than for him. Because, honestly, I felt impossibly far from 'good'. I was feeling a whole lot more nauseous at the thought of sitting there pretending everything was hunky-dory than feeling any sort of 'good'.

"Hey, guys! I wasn't sure Rose and Alice were going to let you out of their clutches in time," Seth exclaimed, playfully shoving my shoulder as he bounded up to us. I wrote myself a mental note to thank him on bended knee for coming up to distract me just then.

Several of the La Push Wolves shuddered at the mention of the Vamp girls' names, and Paul actually spat into the fire. I bit back a laugh when Rachel Black gave him a scalding look for it, and he immediately looked sheepishly apologetic. Imprinting had it's rare moments; I hoped she gave him hell on a regular basis.

Embry kept a firm grip on my hand as we followed Seth to the empty spot by Jacob, despite the looks we were getting from most of the La Push Pack. I didn't really care; they all probably knew I'd been sleeping in Embry's room all week, so chances were high they thought something was going on, anyway.

Not that anything _was _going on. We were just best friends. That was it. Friends who happened to like snuggling. That wasn't so odd, was it?

It took me a few moments to realize that more than half of the Pack- specifically, the _non_-imprinted half- weren't staring at the pair of us. They were just staring at _me_. And to be even more specific, they were staring at _parts _of me. Like my legs. Or my chest.

I caught Brady ogling my legs over the edge of his cup, and I glared right at him until his eyes traveled up far enough to meet my own. He choked, coughing and spluttering, as he turned a brilliant shade of eggplant and looked away, mortified. Unfortunately for him, he was too busy looking anywhere but in my direction to notice the package of hotdogs Sam chucked at him, and I snorted with amusement as it bounced off of his head with a very satisfying thwacking sound. Suddenly, the rest of Sam's Pack was intensely interested in anything that wasn't me.

"Looking good there, Miss Clearwater," Billy Black exclaimed jovially as we passed his wheelchair, seated on the edge of the group of elders. I grinned at him, knowing his sharp eyes hadn't missed a thing.

"Thanks, Billy. Hey, this isn't your usual spot, is it?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I knew why he was over here by us, on the fringes, rather than in his customary honored spot.

"Yeah, well. It ain't usual for your mom to miss these gatherings, either," he replied, not bothering to lower his voice one bit. I was pleased to see several of the elders squirm uncomfortably under the caustic looks he swept over them.

"Cool it, guys," Jacob warned us quietly.

"Old bastards," I muttered under my breath as I directed a glare at the old man who had the audacity to take Billy's place before I obediently backed off.

I tugged my hand out of Embry's as we sat down, suddenly way too conscious of the feel of his large, calloused hand gently gripping my own. A portion of the butterfly herd from that afternoon was back, fluttering around in my nervous stomach, and I looked around a little desperately for something to take my mind off of it.

My eyes landed on Quil, sitting on the other side of Jake, and I was momentarily distracted by the distinct absence of the toddler Claire.

"Hey, Quil. What's up? Is it past Claire's bedtime or something?" I asked him, trying hard to smile nicely instead of smirking.

He shrugged and dug in the sand with his toes. "Not really. I just... didn't feel right bringing her along if Jake couldn't bring Nessie," he replied quietly, but still loud enough that half the La Push Pack could hear him. He shot a swift scowl in the direction of Sam and the elders, and Embry and I looked at each other in surprise.

"Right on, man," Embry told him as a smile hiked up the corners of his mouth. Jake said nothing, but I could tell he was just as thrilled as Embry was with this little show of comraderie.

For a long time, the five of us just sat there, joking quietly amongst ourselves, and the separation of the two Packs was as obvious as a brick wall. There was _us, _and there was _them_, and it wasn't making the Elders very happy at all to see it.

"Wonder if they're really gonna try to talk us into ditching Jake," Embry whispered into my ear at one point.

"I hope it's soon. I'm looking forward to giving them my answer," I muttered darkly. "They could've at least fed us something better than cheap-o hotdogs if they were trying to soften us up, though."

Embry laughed, and Sam's eyes were pinned on us again like a laser beam. It took every ounce of self-control I had to ignore him, and I scooted just a tiny bit closer to Embry for support. That, apparently, was a mistake, because Sam's glare intesified tenfold. What the hell was I doing wrong _now_? I wasn't even talking to any of his Pack, I wasn't causing any trouble. I was just _there. _

To my utter horror, I could feel the telltale prick of tears beginning on the inside of my eyelids, and I blinked rapidly to keep them away. I knew Sam didn't want me around, but did he have to be so blatant about it?

Embry, living up to his role as my personal mini-Jasper, looked down at me with a slight frown, confusion written all over his face. He made a move to put his arm around my shoulders, then apparently remembered the hotdogs he had in both hands and thought better of it. I wasn't sure if I was happy about that or not. I mean, it would've been nice to lean into his warmth and know that he, at least, didn't want me to disappear, but I really, _really_, didn't want anyone else knowing how pathetic I was being.

Like a reflex, Embry's eyes shot over to Sam, and their glares clashed angrily from across the bonfire. Dark fury, like thunderheads, clouded both their faces instantly, and I gripped Embry's arm with a sudden fear that they were going to shift and attack each other right there.

"Whoa, Tank. That's enough," I muttered to him. I didn't think he heard me, and I tugged on his arm to get his attention. It didn't work.

On the other side of him, Jake suddenly noticed something was wrong, and he glanced swiftly between Embry and Sam. He looked at me, the confusion in his eyes mirroring mine, and started to rise to his feet.

"Ouch! Oh, no!"

The little cry of pain from Emily broke the tense moment, and Sam had turned to her with overwhelming concern before her hotdog had even toppled to the ground. Jake heaved an enormous sigh of relief as he sank back into his seat on the old log, and I let go of Embry's arm cautiously.

"What the hell was that all about?" Jacob asked us in a low undertone, even as we heard Emily sheepishly explain that she'd just burned herself a little on the hotdog. My stomach gave a funny little twist as I worked very hard at trying to ignore Sam treating her (very) minor burn as if it were a mortal wound, and I focused on Embry's face instead. The dark thunderclouds hadn't completely disappeared yet, and his eyes looked almost black as he stared into the fire. I had the most ridiculous urge to reach my hand up to try to soothe the muscle ticking in his jaw, but of course I resisted it.

"You okay, Tank?" I asked him softly. He gave me a short, clipped nod, and Jake scowled at both of us.

"Seriously, what the hell's going on?" he demanded.

Embry sighed and gave him a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "Nothing. Just Sam pissing me off. I over-reacted."

"No kidding," I agreed emphatically. "And it looks like your hotdogs payed the price, too."

I looked pointedly at the mangled remains of his meal squeezing out from his tightly clenched fists and tried not to grin at his expression.

"Aw, man! Two perfectly good dogs, wasted!" he moaned, tossing the remains into the fire as he got up to go wash his hands. I snickered along with Jake and told myself firmly that I wasn't going to panic because he'd left my side. Keeping my eyes on the fire, I did my best to ignore Sam coddling Emily.

Jake scooted closer to me casually, watching the dancing flames as he leaned towards me. "Seriously, Leah. What happened there?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure," I replied, shrugging. And that was the truth. Sure, Embry had seen that I was upset, and rightly deduced it was because of Sam, but that was no reason for the way the two of them were glaring at each other. Luckily for me, Jake seemed to content to leave it at that.

_Un_luckily for me, however, a few of the younger La Push Packmates were taking advantage of Sam's distraction over Emily to ogle me again. It kind of made me wish I'd shown up in a baggy pair of sweats and an oversized hoodie.

"Uh, hey. Leah. You, uh, want another hotdog or something?"

Oh, wonderful. Apparantly, at least one of them had worked up the courage to talk to me, too. I turned to look at the guy- Joshua? Jared? I couldn't remember his name- and dredged up a smile.

"No thanks. I think my limit's around five or so," I replied in as friendly a tone as I could muster. After all, there was no real reason to bite his head off, _yet_. And the effort it took to be at least passably nice was worth it to see the looks of shock on all my former Packmates' faces. The old Leah Clearwater wouldn't have hestitated to rip the kid a new one.

"Really? I think I've lost count..." he said thoughtfully, then grinned widely at me. Really, he was kind of cute in a boyish sort of way. It was a shame I couldn't remember his name.

A couple of guys around his age inched closer, braver now that one of them had broken the ice. I humored their awkward attempts at starting a conversation and wondered how long it would take them to notice that Sam had seen them talking to me and was getting progressively more pissed off by the minute. It shouldn't bother me so much that he obviously didn't want me to have anything to do with his Pack, but it did. The sting of it wound deep into my bones, and I wished I had an excuse to run home and cry.

Embry sauntered back, a hotdog in both hands and a bag of chips under his arm. He stopped in front of Joshua-or-Jared and looked down at him with narrowed eyes.

"You're in my spot, man," he said pointedly, arching an eyebrow, and the poor kid scrambled to get up and get out of his way. Grinning, Embry plunked himself down next to me and proceeded to stuff almost an entire hotdog into his mouth, bun and all.

"If you start choking, I'm not going to save you," I told him severely. "And anyway, that wasn't your seat."

"True. But I wasn't going to tell our high and mighty Alpha to move."

"It's good to be king," Jake drawled lazily from the other side of me. I gave him a playful smack upside the head, but our joking was cut short as the Billy-Replacement elder began retelling the familiar tale of the Cold Ones and the third wife.

His voice telling the story sounded all wrong. He just couldn't invoke the power of it like Billy could, and it was hard to pay attention to his droning voice at all. Billy winked and smiled at me when I glanced his way, as if to reassure me that his demotion didn't bother him in the slightest, but I couldn't stop myself from glaring darkly into the bonfire.

The story wound to a close, and most of the boys stretched and shifted gratefully. My Pack stayed perfectly still, waiting, in a silent, tight-knit group bunched around Jacob Black. He sat straight, his held held high, and I felt a momentary twinge of pride that he was actually trying to play his part as the Alpha of the Alphas.

The high pitched ring of a cell phone pierced the night air unnaturally, cutting off whatever the elder was about to say next, and Jake reached lazily into his back pocket to pull it out.

_"Hey, Mutt. Give Leah the phone, would you?" _Everyone could hear Rosalie's voice ringing as clear as crystal bells on a frosty morning in the silence around the bonfire. Rolling his eyes, Jake tossed the phone casually to me and blithely ignored the intensely curious stares from the La Push Pack.

"Rose? What's up?" I muttered, keeping as quite as possible. I stayed in my seat and attempted to copy Jake's nonchalance even though I felt like crawling under my log like a little grub.

_"Just checking in,"_ she answered lightly. _"Everybody here's on edge, you know how it is. Esme's pacing a hole in the carpet, and Carlisle's setting up a makeshift emergency room in his study, just in case. Jasper's detailed at least three different scenarios- all worst-case, of course, which is only making Esme more worried, and Alice is giving herself a headache trying to see what's going on."_

On either side of me, Embry and Jake's shoulders heaved with quiet laughter, and I slapped a hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle.

_"Oh, sure. Go ahead and laugh, but Emmett and I have to sit here and deal with all the crazies," _she complained loudly. _"When are you guys going to be done so we can go back to normal?"_

"Soon, I hope. What about Bella and Edward? Are they on the crazy side or the normal side?" I replied, still giggling.

_"They grabbed Nessie and ran for their cottage the minute Jasper started in. Bella didn't want her worrying any more than she already was about her Wolf-People."_

_"Anybody get punched yet?"_ Emmett yelled from somewhere in the background. I could feel the glares like hot daggers from around the bonfire at that one, but Embry just leaned towards the phone with a laugh.

"Unfortunately, no. Night's not done yet, though," he said cheerfully, and I elbowed him the ribs. Jake gave me a pointed look, and I nodded.

"Right. This isn't the best time, so... just tell everyone to calm down because everything's fine, okay?"

_"Will do. Just __**please**__, call us when you're done. For my sake," _Rose begged before hanging up. I handed the phone back to Jacob before turning an innocent face towards the elders.

"Sorry. Our family's just a bit worried about us. You were saying?" I asked with false politeness. Nearly every La Push Wolf shuddered with obvious disgust at my words, but I was proud to see even Quil lift his head and nod in agreement.

"How can you call _them _family, Leah? Your family's right here..." Emily blurted out in a shaky voice before Sam shushed her quietly.

I lifted my chin and stared her down. "No, my family's over here, sitting next to me. And over in Forks, pacing the floors worrying one of us is going to get hurt. That's my family."

Emily blanched, but I didn't care. She sat over there, with her fiance that should've been mine, looking like she was the victim. But when had she ever shown the slighest bit of concern over what her betrayal had done to me?

"It's not right. It's not natural," the elder cut in. "Things were not meant to be this way. _This _is your home. _These _are your people. You can't turn your back on all this-"

"We wouldn't have, if you hadn't wanted us to attack innocent people," Seth threw in, surprising me to the core.

"That was a mistake," Sam admitted quickly, defensively.

Quil shook his head. "Yeah, but it was a mistake that could've cost lives on either side if Jacob, Seth, and Leah hadn't left to protect them. If it wasn't for them, you would've ordered us to attack that same day, and where would that put us now? The Cullens are good people. They don't deserve the kind of hate and distrust you all have for them. Wish I'd followed my instincts to leave the minute Jake did," he ended with a low mutter.

The elder stiffened haughtily. "They are what they are by nature. Cold ones. Enemies of the living. They cannot fight their nature forever. They have killed before, and they will kill again."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Who are we to judge them for crimes they might not commit? Or things they may have done long before our time? All we can judge is now, and right now, they're innocent," Embry insisted quietly.

"That doesn't erase what they are. Doesn't make them _innocent_," replied the elder harshly.

"I think it does. I'm proud to call them my family," I said in a firm, clear voice, looking him squarely in the eye with a determined glare.

"Oh, yeah. I'll bet you are," Paul snorted. "You just wish you weren't already a freak so you could beg them to make you a stinking bloodsucker, too."

His words hit me like a slap in the face, and I sat perfectly still, to angry to even speak. Embry stood up, meaty hands clenched into fists of granite, ready and willing to pound him into the ground. But before Paul could get to his feet, Rachel Black lit into him. He cowered sheepishly under her short tirade, and I tugged Embry back down onto the log next to me.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter," I muttered to him.

"Like hell it doesn't," he growled back, and I thanked my lucky stars that Paul was sitting across the bonfire from us, or no one would've been able to stop their fight.

Sam stood up, bringing the focus of the group back to himself. "Look, I understand how you could become friends with the Cullens. They're good people, as far as their kind goes. I won't deny that. But you can't deny the fact that they're still _dangerous_."

"Not to us," Jacob argued. "Not to any of you, either. Unless you're stupid enough to give them a reason."

Sam colored slightly under the hint of accusation in Jake's voice. He'd given them more than a reason to hurt the Pack when he'd wanted to kill Bella's unborn child- and by extention, her as well.

"It's your own fault there are two Packs. It was your decision that forced me to break away from you. And you and I both know that every Wolf here has the right to chose his own Alpha," Jake continued relentlessly. Sam clenched his jaw shut, his eyes narrowed, but he had nothing to say in reply to that. Jake looked back at us, and I gave a tiny nod of encouragement.

"I never wanted a Pack. That's not why I..." he trailed off, then stiffened his spine and held his head high as he faced the elders. "I told Seth, and Leah, too, to go back to La Push when they joined me. I didn't want to be an Alpha, and I sure as hell didn't want to lead a renegade Pack. But I didn't have a choice at the time, and those two made up their own minds on the matter. Embry and Quil, too. I didn't want a Pack, but I've got one, and I sure as hell won't put up with them being harrassed about it. If they want to follow me, that's their choice, not yours."

"An Alpha's first duty is to protect his Pack, Jacob. Not lead them willingly into danger," Sam growled harshly.

Next to me, Embry trembled slightly from the force of his anger, and I slipped my fingers into his tightly clenched fist and squeezed. Now was not the time for anyone to lose their control, especially given the fact that there were more than a handful of normal humans scattered throughout the group. Emily's scars would seem like a kitten scratch compared what might happen if one of us phased.

Jacob clenched his own hands into white-knuckled fists and snarled. "They're not in danger. The Cullens would never-"

_"Leah was attacked in Seattle! She could've died!"_ Sam bellowed suddenly, making me jump. My cheeks burned with mortification, and I wished the sand would open up and bury me as nearly everyone's eyes fastened on me.

"That's not true. I was with the Cullens and they-"

But Sam cut me off wildly. "You shouldn't have been there at all! Out with the bloodsuckers..." He turned his burning, angry glare back at Jake. "You're the one responsible for that. _You _let her get into that car with them, you let her leave without protection-"

"In case it's escaped your notice, Sam, Leah's not exactly helpless," Jake answered with a hiss. "And three vampires are better protection than your entire Pack."

"The Cullens are the reason Cyrus won't hunt," Seth threw in, looking decidedly unhappy about how things were going.

"The Cullens are the reason Cyrus knows about Leah," Sam spat back. Embry's hand tightened around mine convulsively, and I shot a quick, confused glance at him.

"Sam," Jacob began warningly, but Sam cut him off.

"No. It's your fault that filthy bloodsucker wants her. Your mind-reading leeches _told _you how obsessively he wants to hunt her. If she had been in La Push, where all of you belong, he would never have even known she existed. Now it's just a matter of time before he comes back for her, and all because _you _thought she'd be safe with the _leeches_."

I swallowed hard against the sudden dryness in my mouth, my whole body turning abruptly cold and numb. Embry's hand covering my own felt like red-hot lead.

"That's not true. Cyrus wants to hunt the Pack. The biggest, the strongest..." I breathed out at the same time that Embry barked, "Sam, shut up!"

"You didn't even tell her, did you?" Paul asked acidly. "Some 'family'."

I turned my burning eyes toward Jacob, but he was too busy staring Sam down with narrowed eyes to look at me. Seth shuffled his feet nervously when I glanced at him, and Quil avoided looking at me altogether. As if that wasn't a dead give-away that they'd definitely hid something important from me, the look on Embry's face would've confirmed it.

"Cyrus... doesn't want to hunt just any Wolf in the Pack," he told me quietly, looking at me with pained eyes that begged me not to be angry with him. "Edward and Jasper, they read him and he... He's like Aro. And you're the most unique prey he's ever seen. He wants the hunt- but only if it's you."

_Rarest of the rare. What a pet she'd make._

The deadly, musical voice chimed through my head as clearly as if Cyrus had been standing behind me, and a cold shiver of dread ran down my spine. I understood _exactly_ what Embry was saying- and not saying. My god, why hadn't they told me?

"But he decided not to hunt, right? He's in Canada," I insisted, and I was very proud that my voice didn't waver in the slightest.

"For now," Sam replied tersely. "He'll come back."

"We don't know that for sure. He wasn't willing to fight us and the Cullens before. He might not ever think it's worth the risk to himself," Jacob answered stubbornly.

"It doesn't matter if he does come back. He's no match for either Pack, much less the Cullens. So it's just idiotic to get upset about it," I stated calmly, giving Sam and his Pack a dismissive glare. I slid my fingers out of Embry's hand, and I knew he saw right past my calm mask. I was seething under the surface. How could they have kept this from me? _Why?_

I couldn't look at Embry's face as I stood up, because I knew those dark eyes of his would still be begging me not to be angry with him. I was pathetic enough that something like that could make me cave completely, too, and I wanted to stay mad at him- at all of them.

"If that's all you've got to say, I'm heading home," I stated coldly, looking over the silent group with a hard glare.

"Leah, we'll ask you one more time, will you truly not reconsider?" an elder asked me. "You belong with our people, on our land. Will you come back to us?"

Straightening my spine, I stood straight and tall. "I stand by what I said. As long as there are two Alphas, there will be two Packs. Jacob Black has my allegiance, and the Cullens have my friendship for as long as they want it."

Not waiting for a reply and not caring whether anyone was following me or not, I stepped out of the ring of firelight and marched away into the night. Heavy footfalls behind me alerted me to the fact that all four of my Packmates were following me, but I didn't bother to slow down or acknowledge them.

"Leah, c'mon. Wait up! Let us explain," Embry called, a note of frustration in his voice.

"Explain what? Why everybody else, even Sam's Pack, knows more about what's going on than I do? Or why you didn't think it was necessary to let me know that I'm supposedly some crazed leech's target?" I hissed back with acidic sarcasm.

"That's not how it is," said Jacob defensively, and I swung around to face them angrily.

"It's not, huh? What the hell, Jake. I'm supposed to be your Beta!"

"I know that. I-"

"_So why the hell didn't you tell me any of that?_ Did you think I'm too weak to handle it? That I'd freak out like some helpless damsel in distress?"

The four of them squirmed uncomfortably and shot uncertain glances at each other under my molten fury. None of them seemed able to come up with a good answer for me, and I blew out an angry, frustrated breath.

"Whatever. Forget it," I huffed, swiveling around on my heels and stalking off.

"Wait- where are you going?" Embry asked anxiously, jogging to catch up with me. The look I pinned him with was pure venom, and he quailed underneath it.

"Home. Unless you think I can't even make it that far by myself safely," I snapped viciously. "Don't forget to call Rose," I threw over my shoulder at Jake as I stalked off, leaving Embry standing dejectedly behind in my wake.

Stupid puppy dog eyes! How could he make me feel so guilty for walking off like that when I was totally justified for being royally pissed off? I had to give myself a few hard mental slaps to keep from turning around and running off to find him.

The house was silent and dark when I let myself in, and it thoroughly gave me the creeps. I quickly flipped on all the kitchen lights, wishing my mother had picked a different night to stay over at Charlie's, and started to make myself a huge midnight snack to take my mind off my jitters.

Now that the first shock of anger had worn off, I could feel the cold fingers of terror creeping up my spine. _Cyrus_. My own personal, living nightmare had just gotten a whole lot worse.

_And it was only a matter of time until he came back._

A timid knock on my front door made me splatter myself with hot grease from the potatoes I was frying, and I cursed spectacularily under my breath. The angry, red blisters on my arms were just starting to heal when I flung the door open and stepped back in surprise.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

For a moment, I just stood there blinking stupidly at the figure in my doorway. I'd expected it to be Embry, or even Jacob, but instead, it was Emily who stood in the small halo of light, her scarred face twisted with nervous anxiety. My eyes darted through the shadows automatically, searching for Sam, and she fidgeted.

"He's not here, he's... I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?" she repeated, and this time I stepped aside to let her pass. I followed her into the kitchen and went back to cooking my potatoes in the hope that she'd just spit out whatever she'd come to say and get gone. I was in no mood to play pretend anymore tonight.

"Leah, why are you doing this?" Emily asked suddenly, startling me.

I turned to look at her, genuinely confused. "Doing what?"

"Fighting us. Pretending that you actually like the Cullens."

"I'm not pretending!" I exclaimed. "I meant every word. They're my family now, whether you and Sam like it or not."

"But _we're _your family. You and I... we used to be so close, like sisters," she insisted, and I had to fight the urge to shout, '_yeah, before you turned your back on me without a second glance!'_.

"We could be like that again, Leah. If you'd just let me... You don't need to fight like this, you could come home to your real family-"

"I _am _home. And I won't turn my back on the Cullens. Not now, not ever," I spoke quietly, but my voice was firm and certain. Emily swallowed hard, blinking as a sheen of tears sprang into her eyes.

"I miss you, Leah," she whispered.

"I think you should leave now," I told her emotionlessly, turning away from her to stir my potatoes. There were several long moments of silence before I heard her stumble out of the kitchen. The front door slammed, and I let myself slump heavily.

I was a rotten person. That much I already knew. I'd just rejected Emily, my once sort-of sister, and let her leave my house in tears. And if that wasn't bad enough, the truth was, I honestly didn't care all that much. I didn't miss her. I didn't want her friendship back. And I definitely had no desire to 'come home', as she'd put it.

Suddenly, I had an insanely intense desire to see Embry. Maybe it was simply a need to redeem myself a little by making things up with him. Maybe I just needed a hug. Whatever the reason, I dumped the black ashes of my potatoes into the garbage and sprinted out the door. Unfortunately for me, I ran into the solid wall of Seth's chest on my way outside.

"Whoa. Hey, where're you going?" he asked cautiously, obviously worried about getting another tongue-lashing from me.

"Out," I answered evasively, weaseling my way around him and out the door. He frowned and followed after me.

"Out? But, Leah..."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving the rez," I snapped back at him, and he stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets with a resigned look on his face.

I blew through the trees to Embry's house, but pulled up short in the shadows as the sound of angry voices floated over to me. Sam! It was Sam arguing with my Tank, and by the looks of it, they'd been there for a while.

"...don't need to do this, Embry. You can't fix my mistakes," Sam was saying, and I watched from the cover of the trees as Embry bristled.

"Is that why you think I'm doing this? Get over yourself, Sam!" he snarled back. "I'm not doing _anything _for you. Or because of you. You're _nothing _to me."

Sam gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "Fine. Think what you want of me, but I ordered you to stay away from her for good reasons."

Stay away from who? Stay away from _me? _Oh, god! They were talking about me! I sank farther into the shadows, desperate not to get caught, but unwilling to leave, either.

"Oh, really? And what reasons were those, Sam? To make sure she stayed lonely and miserable? Or to keep anyone from knowing how much of an ass you _really _are?" Embry demanded harshly.

"No, dammit. Listen to me!"

"I think it's time _you _listened," Embry snarled, jabbing a finger at Sam. "I followed your orders in your Pack because I didn't have a choice. But there's no way in hell I'm following them now. You haven't got any right to control me, and you've got absolutely no right to control Leah. She's not yours anymore."

"She's not yours, either, and you know it. She can never _be _yours," Sam replied, running frustrated hands through his hair.

"I don't want to possess her. God! Leah's not a thing to be owned! I just want to be her friend. And I'm going to be there for her whether you want me to or not."

Sam glared at him with narrowed eyes. "Oh, will you? And what happens someday when you imprint? What then? You'll hurt her again. Are you willing to risk that?"

Embry's face spasmed, and I felt my own insides twist up the same way. Dear lord, why hadn't I ever thought about that? Someday, Embry was going to imprint, some other girl was going to mean everything to him, and I'd be left in the cold. Again. I was going to lose him- the one person who'd somehow become the most important thing in my cracked and broken universe.

_How could I have let this happen? _

"I won't hurt her," Embry replied hoarsely, and Sam snorted disbelievingly. "I _won't_." Embry insisted, louder this time. "We're friends. Close friends. Nothing can change that, not even imprinting."

My heart leapt with hope at that, but came crashing back into the soles of my feet with Sam's next words.

"You won't be able to help it. You'll see."

That was enough for me. I couldn't take it anymore, listening to Sam detail how someday I would lose the person who'd brought light back into my stormy world. I trembled in pain as I stumbled back through the trees to my own house, my mind on repeat: _someday I was going to lose my Tank_.

Seth was aimlessly flicking through channels when I let myself back into the house silently. I ignored him as I headed upstairs to pace my small bedroom relentlessly. My brain didn't want to stop going in circles, and I just knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep that night.

Sam. Emily crying. Cyrus, out there somewhere, wanting to hunt me. Embry, my Tank, destined to leave me behind for some stupid imprint.

Oddly, it was that last thought that brought tears to my eyes, and I angrily wiped them away with a rough hand. How stupid could I have been, getting close to an unimprinted Wolf? But it was far too late now. I needed him, for as long as I could get him. And someday, maybe, if I was really, really careful, we could still be friends after he found his soulmate. As long as I never crossed the line from friendship into... something else.

But that wouldn't be a problem, right? All I wanted was friendship. I wasn't ready for anything else. I wasn't even sure I _could _want something more, anyway. Sam had shattered my heart into so many pieces, I didn't think it could ever be whole and healthy enough to give to someone else.

A light tap on my window slammed me out of my whirling thoughts, and I flung it open to stare wide-eyed at Embry's shadowed face as he hung precariously from the tree outside my room.

"Can I come in? Please?"

Wordlessly, I pulled out the screen and backed up far enough for him to ease his hulking frame through the small frame. It had started to rain, and a few droplets slid down his chest when he straightened, leaving searching paths through the chiseled muscles. I watched them silently and wished that we were just two people in a normal world, with no monsters or complications. And no such thing as imprinting.

He shifted from one foot to another, big hands shoved into the pockets of his ratty cut-offs, obviously uncomfortable.

"Leah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here," he began, and my stomach plummeted through the floor at his words. Oh, god, was he here to tell me we shouldn't be friends anymore? Had Sam managed to convince him of the lie that I was better off without him?

"I know you didn't want me to come, but I..." he trailed off and rubbed a nervous hand over his short-cropped hair. "You've gotta know that I didn't tell you everything we knew about Cyrus because I just couldn't stand seeing you more upset about him than you already were. Not that I thought you were weak or anything," he added hastily when I just continued to stare at him.

Relief flooded my bones. _That's _what he'd come here to talk about? I could've laughed; I'd forgotten all about being angry over that.

"Really, Leah. None of us thought that you couldn't handle it or that you weren't strong enough. We just didn't want you to have to worry about it. You're too... important. To all of us," his voice was quiet, hesistant, but it throbbed with certainty. The only problem was, I couldn't care less about his apology at the moment. I was just glad he was here, still wanting to be with me.

I think I could've knocked him over with a feather when I suddenly darted forward to wrap my arms around his waist and hug him for all I was worth. I pressed my face into his shoulder and breathed his scent in deeply, memorizing it for a time when I wouldn't have the right to hug him like this anymore. His arms came up to press me even tighter against him, and I smiled into his skin despite the lump of tears lodged in my throat.

"So... I'm forgiven, then?" he asked me huskily, and I reminded myself firmly that I needed to play my part so he didn't suspect anything.

I pulled back just far enough to give him a half-hearted glare. "Well, I suppose a life-time of servitude might cover it. For starters, anyway."

"Sounds good to me. But what's my punishment going to be?" he joked back, waggling his eyebrows at me. Oh, how I wished I had the right to truly ask a lifetime of anything from him.

Resolutely keeping the lighthearted grin on my face, I pulled away from him with a laugh. "Ugh, you're all wet. Wait here while I go get some of Seth's shorts."

"Sure... Ah, why?" he asked me, his grin now tinged with confusion.

"Well, I really don't want you getting my sheets all soggy," I replied, then bit my lip. "You _are_ going to stay tonight, aren't you?"

A grin like the morning sun broke across his face. "Absolutely. Anything for you."

I forced a laugh as I headed out of the room toward's Seth's. Oh, if only. If only.


	17. Wavering

**Wavering**

**AN: **_I am very sorry for the short hiatus this story was in. Unfortunately, I suffer from a long-term mental illness, and had a bad relapse, which made it impossible to write or do much more than occasionally read someone else's work. Meds are getting me functioning again, but they kind of turn me into a zombie. Really kills the creativity, you know? So there it is. Excuses, excuses..._

_**THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED LAST CHAPTER! **__I really, deeply appreciate every single one of them, so thank you again. I hope someone is still reading this...  
And standard disclaimers, etc..._

_

* * *

_"Hey. You're not doing your homework," Embry accused me as he prodded my side with his foot.

I ignored him and turned the page of my fashion magazine. We were sprawled out across my living room floor with spreadsheets and charts strewn haphazardly around us, 'homework' from Jasper and Edward. They had decided to teach us how to play the stock market, claiming it was an important life skill, but I had a sneaking suspicion that Alice was behind it. If I wasn't going to let her buy me a new wardrobe with her money, then she damn well was going make me my own fortune- so she could spend it on designer couture, of course. In the one week since the sad disaster of a bonfire, the pittance I'd started with had swelled to alarming proportions that could only be reached if Alice was working diligently at seeing the stock market future. Not that I was complaining, really...

Embry nudged me again. "Hey. Homework, remember?"

"I'm _doing _my homework," I replied lazily, rolling onto my back without taking my eyes off my magazine.

"Really. 'Cause that sure looks like a chart," Embry snorted sarcastically, scribbling away at numbers and figures diligently. The crazy man actually _liked _doing that stuff. It just gave me a massive headache.

"This is my homework for Rose. I'm supposed to figure out what kind of stuff I want her to bring me back from Paris."

"When's she going to Paris?" Embry asked, frowning at something that apparently wasn't adding up right.

"Emmett's taking her for Fashion Week," I replied as I snuck glances at his face. Honestly, he had the most adorable frown I'd ever seen on a grown man.

He pulled a few more random sheets of paper in front of himself. "You're supposed to be helping me with this. Don't you want to take over your stocks?"

"Not really," I replied, tossing my magazine to the side to watch him work. "That's what I've got you for, isn't it? You're way better than me at this stuff, anyway."

He grunted, and I rolled back onto my stomach to wiggle over until our shoulders were touching. I gave him my best super-innocent face when he glanced at me, and I saw the way he was doing his best not to laugh when he swiftly looked back at his precious charts.

Hm... I didn't exactly intend that face to be _funny_. More helpless damsel-ish, really. Guess I was going to have to work on it. Still, I couldn't help but grin as I bumped my shoulder playfully into his. Naturally, he retaliated, and it wasn't too many nudges later that things escalated into a weird sort of wrestling match.

Which I was losing, and fast. Dammit, it was _so _unfair that I was ticklish and he _wasn't_. But I honestly didn't mind it when he rolled half-way on top of me to pin me down, even though his long fingers poking at my sides were making it impossible to breath properly. But who needed air, right?

I think I must have been turning blue, because Embry's fingers suddenly stilled, splaying out flat against my skin where my tank top had ridden up. I could feel the heat of them seeping past my ribs straight into my blood, and I caught my breath. Almost unwillingly, my eyes fluttered open, and my pent-up air came out as a strange little squeak as I stared right into Embry's deep, searching eyes inches away from my own. They were mesmerizing, haunting, filled once more with that frightening intensity, that wild, undefinable need.

Dear god, was he going to kiss me? Did he _want _to kiss me? More importantly, did _I_ want him to kiss me? Maybe I'd been sending him mixed signals all week, being so touchy-feely. I hadn't been able to help it. I nearly burst into song with pure joy every time he was around me, still acting like I was the most important person in the universe, still happily _unimprinted_.

That thought was like a bucket of ice-cold water being dumped right over my head, and my face showed it. Embry's laughing grin slipped swiftly off his face as a frown creased his smooth forehead into worry-lines, and he pulled back just a tiny fraction of an inch.

"_Ahem._"

Startled, I tipped my head back to look at the upside-down form of my brother, glaring down at us with his arms tightly folded across his chest. Embry scooted away from me like someone had poked him with a cattle prod and scooped up a few random papers.

"Hey, Seth. We're just, uh, working on homework and stuff..." he said in a lame attempt to cover up the... whatever had been going on between us.

"Uh _huh_," Seth replied, obviously not buying one bit of it. "Don't you have to get to work soon, Leah?"

I sat up and stuck my tongue out at him childishly as Embry hastily swept the papers together and stood up.

"Yeah, it's getting late. I'll go get the car and meet you back here, okay B?" he asked, already heading towards the front door.

I frowned heavily at his retreating back. "Wait, I can change and go with you-"

"No, no. I'll just go get it while you get ready. See you in a bit."

He waved casually over his shoulder and disappeared through the doorway. I sighed and stood up slowly. What if he ran into someone, some _girl_, and imprinted on her on the way to get his car? Then there I'd be, waiting for him to show up like some pathetic loser, and he never would. Because the second he caught sight of his 'soulmate', whoever she was, he'd forget all about me.

God, I hated that unknown girl with an unbelievably violent passion.

Seth was still standing there, with his arms tightly folded across his chest, and I scowled ferociously at him.

"_What_? You've got a problem with me hanging out with Embry now?" I demanded, taking out some of my pent-up fear and frustration on him.

Seth shuffled his big feet sheepishly and suddenly couldn't meet my eyes. "Well... no. It's just, you know, it's... I know it's really none of my business, but-"

"You're right, it isn't," I snapped, and stomped away to my bedroom to get dressed for work.

Embry was waiting for me when I got back downstairs, and we wasted no time hustling out the front door. The sight of my Molly parked in the driveway stopped me dead so suddenly that Embry ran into me from behind and nearly knocked me over. I gaped at the gleaming car for a few silent seconds before I whirled around to face him.

"Molly's ready? I can actually drive her?" I demanded incredulously, a huge grin spreading across my face. In answer, he held up a pair of keys and grinned broadly back at me. Squealing like a crazed fangirl over the latest Teen Dreamboy, I snatched the keys out of his fingers and gave him a swift but tight hug.

"Thanks! Tank, you're the best _ever_!" I exclaimed right before I planted a big kiss on his cheek. "I owe you huge for this," I told him seriously.

"Well, you could just, you know, kiss my other cheek and we could call it even."

He grinned at me, and I smacked his bicep before running over to jump into the driver's seat. He slid in smoothly beside me on the passenger side as I eagerly turned the key and ran my hands over the steering wheel.

"So... does this mean I don't get to drive you around anymore?" Embry asked with an exaggerated pout, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Course not. But only sometimes. I'm independent now."

He made a face like a wounded puppy. "Oh, so you were just using me for my car? I feel so loved."

"Aw, c'mon, Tank! I wasn't just using you for your car," I implored him as we sped towards Forks. He sniffed and continued pretending to be deeply hurt, and I poked his arm and gave him a sweet smile.

"I was using you for your mechanic skills, too."

"Well, in that case..." he shrugged his massive shoulders and looked at me with a huge grin.

"So, am I dropping you off at the Cullen's or what?" I asked. Embry fidgeted and stared out the windshield intently.

"Well, you're only working four hours today, so I thought I'd just hang out in town. At the diner or whatever..."

"For four hours? Why the hell would you want to do that?"

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye sheepishly. "Uh, well... Just in case..."

"Oh," I breathed as realization dawned on me, and then frowned heavily. "C'mon, Tank. This is ridiculous. Cyrus is in _Canada_. He's not going to suddenly pop up in Forks in the middle of the day and attack me in an aisle while I'm working or something."

"You really want to take the risk? 'Cause I sure as hell don't," Embry challenged. I gripped the steering wheel until it creaked under the pressure of my fingers.

"It's _not _a risk! He's not coming back here. And I _refuse _to spend the rest of my life being paranoid of every shadow!"

Embry crossed his arms stubbornly. "Fine. Then I'll be paranoid for you."

"What? So every time I leave La Push you're going to stalk me?" I demanded.

"Stalking's a really negative way to put it, but yeah. That's the basic gist of it," he replied with a grin.

I bristled angrily. "Uh uh. No way. I refuse."

"Too bad."

I narrowed my eyes and gave him a death glare that would've made Rosalie proud. "Is this some kind of order from Jacob or something?"

"Um... well, not _exactly_," he hedged uncomfortably.

"Not exactly _how?_" I demanded. He muttered something incoherently, and I poked him hard in the arm. "What was that? I don't speak Mumble."

"Alright! He thought being at the Cullen's was close enough."

"Ha!" I crowed triumphantly as I skidded around the turn into the vamp's long driveway.

"_I_ don't think it's close enough," he grumbled, glaring at me with his arms crossed stubbornly as I slid to a halt in front of the house.

"Oh, lighten up, Tank. Go get high on some Jasper Crack or something."

Muffled laughter floated out of the house, along with Jasper's baritone voice spluttering, "on _what?_", but Embry didn't even smile.

"Seriously, Embry. I'll be _fine,_" I insisted. "Now get out of my car before you make me late."

He frowned heavily at me, but he swung the door open and slid out of the seat. I waved cheerfully at him, despite the anxious butterflies settling in my stomach at the thought of being without his reassuring presence in Forks.

Which was incredibly stupid, and it sort of pissed me off. Was I that pathetic that I needed Embry around to feel safe? Good god, I was the one who'd insisted- okay, downright _demanded_- that he stop being so over-protective and paranoid, so it was absolutely idiotic to be wishing I hadn't won that particular argument.

Still, as his massive form dwindled in my rearview mirror, I had to stifle an insanely strong urge to turn around and ask him to come with me.

Maybe that's why I was so irritable when I showed up for work at the Newton's store. And Mrs. Newton standing next to a boy with hair so carefully gelled it was obvious he was trying _way _too hard didn't help improve my mood any.

"Leah, this is my son," Mrs. Newton said, giving me that terrifying grin that only hopeful mothers get when they're doing their damndest to create a love match. "He's just back from college for the summer, so you two will be working together for a few months."

I forced a half-heartedly polite smile. "Oh. Um, great. Hi."

"Well, I'll leave you two to get to know each other," Mrs. Newton said with a sly look at her son. She disappeared quickly into her office, still giving us that frightening match-maker mother smile, and left the two of us awkwardly standing a few feet away from each other.

"Hi. I'm Mike," the Newton kid said, grinning enthusiastically at me. His eager friendliness was annoying, but I smiled back and resisted the urge to hurt him for being so damn cheerful.

"Leah Clearwater," I told him in a carefully neutral voice. "So... you're back for the summer?"

"Yep. I'll be working here as much as I can to save up for next year, so we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other."

I hid a groan at his words, thinking a whole summer full of his exuberant friendliness might give me a nasty ulcer. I just wasn't used to people being that chipper around me, or so blatantly unaware of my status as La Push's resident bitch. Mike actually seemed to think I was a nice person, and it looked like he genuinely wanted to be friends. I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

He kept up a fairly constant stream of talk while we worked, but instead of finding it incredibly irritating, I actually found it to be a welcome distraction. Besides, a lot of his stories about college were interesting, like glimpses of a life I could never expect to have.

Despite the fact that Mike kind of reminded me of an over-eager puppy, by the last hour of my shift, I decided I actually enjoyed being around him. He was the first real bit of normalacy in my otherwise completely messed up life, and it was surprisingly refreshing. I guess I just liked knowing that for some people, the quiet, mythical creature-less world was the only one they lived in, and the only one they would ever have to know.

Even if his hair looked utterly ridiculous.

"So, uh, you gonna answer my question, or..." Mike trailed off, looking at me with confusion. I blinked at him, slowly realizing I'd just totally tuned him out for the last ten minutes or so.

"Oh, sorry. What question?"

"Your life. You know, any crazy stories you want to spill? Family? Friends? Boyfriend?"

Ah. There it was. The inevitable 'are you seeing someone that can beat the crap out of me, or am I free to dream about hooking up with you?' question. But instead of being instantly swamped with bitter, painful memories of just how I'd become so painfully single and flooded with a longing to just _see _Sam again, my thoughts strayed- weirdly- to Embry. And for some inexplicable reason, it _hurt_.

"Um, no. No boyfriend," I declared roughly, then cleared my throat for another try. "I'm just, you know, single. _Happily_ single," I clarified when his grin became a little too broad for my tastes.

"Well, hey! Good for you," Mike exclaimed jovially. "So, tell me more about you."

I stared at him awkwardly. "There's really nothing to tell."

"Aw, c'mon. Everybody's got something. Nothing weird ever happened to you?"

Ha! If only he knew! 'Well, a couple of years ago, I found out I could shapeshift into a giant Wolf. The only female in history. 'Cause, yeah, other people can do it, too.' Somehow I could see that not going over so very well.

"Nope, not so much," I said out loud.

Mike looked like he was going to keep interrogating me, but Fate decided to throw me an unexpected life-line in the form of a steady stream of costumers. Now I just had to pray that Mike didn't have a very good memory so he wouldn't bring the subject up again.

The last person filtered out just as my shift ended, and Mike followed me as I went to go punch out.

"So... whatcha doing this Saturday, Leah?" he asked casually as he leaned against the wall.

"Um... why?" I stuttered warily, hoping from the soles of my feet that he was _not _stupid enough to ask me on a date. Especially not after only meeting me four hours ago.

"Well, I'm getting together with a whole bunch of my old high school friends at First Beach, and I just wondered if you maybe wanted to, you know, join us?"

I scrunched up my face and licked my lips uncertainly. It didn't _sound _like a date. Not if there was going to be a group of people.

Mike shifted nervously. "It's really no big deal. It's supposed to be warm and sunny for once, and we're all just getting together to hang out. Have a good time. You'd have fun, Leah."

I contemplated silently for a long moment. Maybe it _would _be fun. At any rate, it'd be something _different_, and that had to be step up, right? A group of people who knew nothing about me, who knew nothing about the Wolves or the Vamps, who couldn't read my thoughts or feel sorry for me. Yeah, that actually sounded pretty good.

"Okay," I finally answered Mike, and a broad grin spread across his face. I held up a finger. "Look, I'll show up, but I'm not exactly one for groups of people and parties. I probably won't stick around for very long."

"That's fine," he assured me happily as he followed me to the front doors. "Hey, do you surf at all?"

"Never tried it."

He grinned. "No problem. I can teach you. That is, if you want to learn... Surfing's pretty difficult, actually."

"I think I can handle it. I'm pretty good at physical stuff," I replied lightly. Mike stared at me, his eyes glazing over with that peculiar look Embry got when he saw me in that red dress, or when I washed his car. Only I wasn't getting the good-feeling tingles in my stomach. Instead, I edged nervously to the door and jumped when it suddenly swung open.

"Tank!" I exclaimed in surprise as his broad frame came through the doorway. He wasn't alone; Emmett and Edward followed him inside. The look Edward was giving Mike was a mix of disgust and anger, and I had to wonder what exactly he was thinking to give the mind-reader such a lemon-face.

"Hey, B. Weren't you off ten minutes ago?" Embry asked nonchalantly. His face was creased into a friendly grin, but his eyes were hard as he glanced at Mike.

"I was just talking to Mike. Is there a problem or something?"

I had a moment of instant panic at the thought, wondering if the three of them were here because Cyrus had come back. Edward gave a miniscule shake of his head, and I let out a silent breath of relief.

"Hey there, Newton! How'd your first year of college go?" Emmett boomed out jovially, and I flashed him a grateful look.

"Uh, not bad," Mike answered the burly vamp uncertainly before turning to Edward. "So, how's Bella? I heard she was sick."

"Yes, she was, but she's nearly recovered now. I believe Alice is planning a party in a few weeks to celebrate; I know Bella would be happy to see any of our classmates again," Edward answered smoothly. Mike nodded, then glanced curiously at Embry.

"Hey, are you one of Jacob Black's friends from La Push?"

"Yeah. Embry Call," Embry answered as he reached out to shake Mike's hand. From the way he winced, I guessed that my Tank had squeezed a bit harder than was strictly necessary. I gave him a quick nudge in the ribs and a pointed glare, and he shrugged innocently.

"Okay, well, it was fun working with you, Mike," I said as I discretely pushed Embry's bulk towards the door. He caught on quick, but Edward and Emmett still managed to get outside before we did.

"So, see you on Saturday, then?" Mike called after me.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'll be there," I replied with a quick wave as I scurried after Embry to my Molly.

He climbed in without a word, and I revved up the engine and followed Emmett's massive Jeep out of the parking lot.

"See? I survived. No crazy leech attacks or anything," I teased him. He didn't respond, and I poked him. "Hey. You there?"

His frowned heavily. "What's on Saturday? You're not working."

"Huh?" I asked, confused at his sudden change of conversation. "Oh! Mike asked me to hang out at First Beach with him. He wants to teach me how to surf."

Embry snorted, the perfect picture of annoyed irritation. "_Him_? I'll bet he can't even stand up on a foam board."

"Hey! That's just mean," I exclaimed, though I wasn't quite sure why I was defending Mike, considering I'd thought nearly the same thing myself.

"What do you want to learn how to surf for, anyway?" Embry continued.

"Well, I don't know. It just sounded like fun, I guess. Why shouldn't I learn to surf?"

"Doesn't sound like any fun to me. First Beach doesn't even get any decent swells," he replied sourly, scowling.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly with slightly shaking hands, absolutely furious. What the hell was _wrong _with him? I thought he'd be happy that I was willing to go out and meet new people. And what the hell did he have against surfing? Ugh, he was making me so mad I could just _spit_.

"Fine. If you hate surfing _so much_, then I guess I _won't _ask you if you want to come along!" I snapped angrily, glaring straight out the windshield and wishing I could hit something. Hard.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure Mike would really appreciate you bringing a third wheel along on your _date_."

A slight tremor ran through Embry's frame as he spat out the last word, and it distracted me for a moment. Then the word 'date' sunk into my consciousness, and I hit the roof.

"Holy _shit_, Tank! I am _not _going on a date with Mike Newton!" I shrieked, embarrassed and pissed off in equal measures. How the hell had he come up with that idea?

He turned to blink at me, the scowl sliding off his face. "You're not?"

"Of course not! You couldn't seriously think I'd be interested in him!"

"Uh..." Embry stuttered uneasily, looking more embarrassed than I'd seen anyone look before. I swear the boy was turning purple.

"Look, Mike's going to First Beach with some of his high school friends, and he asked if I wanted to go along. I thought it might actually be fun, so I agreed," I explained through clenched teeth. "And what the hell difference would it make to you if I _was _going on a date?_"_

Embry looked exactly like a rabbit that suddenly found itself in the jaws of a fox. "That's not- I mean, I wasn't, uh... I just thought... _Mike Newton_," he stuttered, spitting the name out like it was rancid meat. I glowered at him.

"What about Mike Newton? I thought he was a nice guy!"

"A nice guy?! Good lord, B. Didn't you see the way he was looking at you?"

Oh, man! Of course I noticed that look! It had reminded me way too much of the way Embry himself had stared at me a few times, although the way he made me feel was completely different. Right now, I felt like squirming in my seat, but I forced myself to stay still so I wouldn't give myself away.

"What look?" I asked, and I privately thought I'd done an excellent job making my voice sound irritated and confused.

Embry's massive hands clenched into tight fists, and he ground his teeth together. "_The _look. He was obviously stripping you in his head."

Oh. My. God.

"He was _not_!" I shrieked in indignation and mortification. Embry crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly and scowled.

"He was too. Ask Edward what he was thinking about when we get to the house. I'll bet you a hundred dollars he'll refuse to tell you."

I seethed silently, unable to come up with any kind of good come-back for that, and too busy being thoroughly creeped out to care, anyway. What the hell was wrong with that stupid, over-gelled, blond puppy?? I might have to murder him on Saturday... there could easily be an 'accident' while surfing, right?

... Wait just a minute. That look- that supposed 'stripping me down' look, was almost identical to the one Embry'd given me. More than once!

I balled up my fist and punched him in the arm. _Hard. _

"Ow, hey! What the hell was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his sore bicep gingerly. I stuck my nose in the air and ignored the throbbing in my fingers.

"Stupid boys! Sick, perverted, hormone-driven boys!" I grumbled angrily, but I was too mortified to even scowl at him. The thing was, while the thought of Mike thinking about me like that made me want to vomit a little in my mouth, I got the weirdest, tingliest sensation in the pit of my stomach thinking _Embry _had thought of me like that. Bloody hell, I was completely insane.

I skidded Molly to a halt next to the Jeep and climbed out quickly. I couldn't stand being cooped up next to him for another minute right now, not with those crazy, confusing, mixed-up feelings racing like electric sparks through my viens.

Luckily for me, Rosalie had apparently been waiting to get a look under Molly's hood for the last four hours, and she wasn't about to let Embry go anywhere until after she'd finished inspecting his work. It was easy for me to sneak away into the house, especially since it was starting to rain heavily.

My mother, Esme, Alice, Bella, and Nessie were all crowded around the counter, deep in discussion, when I slid into the kitchen looking for a snack. They all looked up and waved me over to join in whatever their obviously important conversation was about.

"Don't leave Embry here next time you go to work," Alice muttered under her breath to me as I squeezed in next to her at the counter. "I swear he asked me 567 times in one hour where Cyrus was."

I grimaced apologetically, but couldn't formulate any kind of answer. I had zero desire to talk about Embry at the moment, so I turned my attention to what they were discussing so adamantly.

It turns out they were discussing Mom and Charlie's wedding, since the two of them had finally decided on a date about two weeks away. Mom was insisting on no reception, no party, no recognition what-so-ever, naturally, and just as naturally, Alice and Esme were protesting vehemently. Bella had sided with my mom, and Nessie wasn't saying anything one way or the other, so they were at a stalemate.

"You know, Mom," I broke in after listening to several minutes of their wrangling. "Alice is planning a 'coming-out' party for Bella soon. Maybe we could just combine the two? Then you and Charlie could bow out of the dance really early or something."

Alice lit up like a thousand Christmas lights, beaming at me from ear to ear, as my mom contemplated the idea. Bella looked positively horrified.

"A _what_ party?" she half-shrieked. "When were you going to tell me about it?"

Alice shrugged innocently. "Later."

"It's an excellent idea, Leah. Don't you think so, Sue?" Esme broke in gently.

"Well, I still don't think Charlie and I need a party, but if you _really _want to give us one, this might be the best way," Mom conceded. Esme and Alice glowed with happiness, and Mom sighed. "I just have two conditions. One, nothing over the top. And two, I don't want to know anything about it. Just tell me where to be and when, okay?"

"Really? I can plan the whole thing?" Alice breathed like a starving person being told they could eat as much as they desired.

Rosalie wandered in then, wiping her perfect hands on a greasy rag as she came up to me. "Molly's in great shape. Embry did a good job fixing her up," she informed me.

"Thanks," I replied, then chewed on my lip. "Uh, where is he, anyway?"

"He said he was going to run the perimeter for a bit."

"Great. Hey, can you do me a huge favor?" I asked her in a low voice. She gave a tiny nod, and I continued. "Just ride with me to the border? Jake's still not keen on me running around outside the rez alone."

"Stupid mutt," Rosalie snorted, but she followed me willingly out to my car. Hoping fervently that I could sneak away from the Cullen's without Embry noticing, I yanked the shifter into gear and sped down the driveway.

"So... are you going to tell me what's up with the sneaking back to the rez without your other half?" Rosalie asked casually once we were safely away from the house.

"Embry is _not _my 'other half'. We're just friends," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Mm hm," she replied sceptically while she inspected her manicure. "So, what'd he do?"

"_He thought I was going on a date with Mike Newton!" _I burst out indignantly. It was a wonder the windows didn't shatter from the pure fury in my voice. They probably would have if I'd finished and shrieked, 'and he basically admitted that he's fantasized about me, and I'm totally confused why that doesn't bother me!' Rosalie merely burst out laughing.

I punched the dashboard and accidentally dented it. "It's not funny, Rose. He got all pissy over it, too. Like, what the hell? He's not my dad!"

"Wait, back up! Why'd he think you were going on a date with Mike Newton?"

"Because I agreed to go to First Beach with him and a group of his friends on Saturday. And Embry completely flipped out!"

Rose grimaced in disgust. "Seriously? You agreed to hang out with Mike Newton? I thought you had better taste, Leah."

"Good god! What does everyone have against Mike?" I exclaimed in exasperation. "I thought he was nice!"

"Sure, he's nice. Nice and perverted! Just ask Edward what the kid spends most of his time thinking about, and I doubt you'll want to be within a ten foot radius of him."

"He can't be that bad," I protested half-heartedly, doing my best _not _to remember the glazed look in his eyes. That just reminded me about Embry and the twisted knot of confusion rolling around in my head.

"Oh, trust me. He's that bad," Rose insisted grimly.

I groaned. "Great. And I'm supposed to wear a swimsuit around him on Saturday?"

"Mm. Have fun with that," she replied, then grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, I'd love to see Embry's reaction to Mike ogling you!"

"What makes you think he's going to be there?" I demanded. Rose gave me a withering look.

"Please. Like there's any way he'd let you go without him. _Oh! _This totally calls for a new bikini!"

"What? I've already got a perfectly good one-" I started, but she cut me off.

"Don't worry. Alice and I will find one that'll really make Embry go crazy."

"But I don't _want _to make him go crazy!" I whined as I pulled Molly to a stop right outside the border. Rosalie rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she got out, already dialing Alice's number to get started on the Bikini Hunt.

"_Sure _you don't," she replied sarcastically. "See you tomorrow!"

She waved cheerfully at me before disappearing quickly into the trees, and I banged my head on the steering wheel and moaned.

I _didn't _want to wear a bikini that made Embry go all weird on me again. Did I? I mean, we were just friends. At least, I thought we were. Sure, Embry was the best person I'd ever known, and yeah, he was the damn finest looking man on the face of the planet (oooh, those rippling, bronzed abs!), but that didn't mean that I wanted to be anything more than friends. Right?

Good lord, when did life get so confusing?

I mean, it used to be so simple. Fate hated Leah. Leah hated everyone. Everyone stayed away from Leah. End of story. But _now_- now I actually liked people again. And they liked me. I just didn't know how _much _I wanted a certain person to like me.

Ugh. Maybe I should go back to being a bitter harpy again.

The house was quiet and empty when I got home, and I stood for a long time, just staring at the boxes and the empty spots on the walls. Mom had already started packing up and clearing out her things, and it gave me a curious little ache in my chest. Dad's stuff- some of which we'd never touched or moved since he died- was being carefully sorted through and packed away or given to Seth or I. I'd caught Mom silently crying more than once in the last week over some little thing of Dad's. Like his old ashtray, or the rings his beer cans made on the coffee table. In a way, it was comforting to know she still missed my dad even though she was moving on.

I sat down in his old easy chair, running my fingers over those old rings on the coffee table, and lost myself in happy childhood memories.

I didn't even know how long I'd been there when my mom gently tapped me on the shoulder and broke me out of my reverie.

"Thinking about Dad?" she asked me quietly, and I nodded. We were both silent for a long moment before she spoke up again.

"So, what did you and Embry fight about?"

"What? We didn't- what makes you think we had a fight?" I spluttered defensively. Mom shrugged.

"You two have been joined at the hip for so long now, I just assumed..."

"Yeah, well, we didn't. I mean... oh, hell. It was just over some stupid thing!" I admitted with a heavy pout.

Mom patted my arm. "Don't worry about it. You two will make up by tomorrow morning, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, mom. You make us sound like grade-schoolers!" I laughed. She just smiled and quirked her eyebrows at me.

"So, want to help me pack?"

Being the wonderfully obedient daughter I am, I helped her sort and pack until Seth came home well into the evening. Finally, I was free to haul my tired butt up the stairs to my bedroom, debating the whole way whether or not I should go out in the heavy rain and find Embry to patch things up. After all, he may have gotten a little weird over me meeting up with Mike on Saturday, but I was the one who snuck away from the Cullen's like a bratty child. And all because I didn't know how to react to the thought that he might actually find me attractive.

I flung open my window and grimaced as I climbed through it into the downpour of cold rain. Thank goodness the temperature couldn't affect me, or I'd be blue and shivering as well as drenched to the bone by the time I reached Embry's house.

His light was on in bedroom, and I moved slowly and silently until I could peer inside. Embry was pacing the tiny patch of carpet that wasn't covered in heaps of clothes and miscellaneous junk, rubbing a hand over his short hair and muttering to himself every few seconds. I could only pray that he wasn't as pissed off at me as he looked.

"Uh... Hey, Tank," I finally said quietly after taking a few long minutes to muster up my courage.

At the sound of my voice, he whipped around to face the window so quickly that I was sure he'd topple over from the momentum. He stared at me for a long moment with wide eyes, and I stared back fearfully.

"It's kinda wet out here. Mind if I come in?" I asked in a pathetic attempt at nonchalance. The screen was whipped out and Embry had hauled me into his room before I could say another word. Once my feet were firmly planted on the floor again, we both stood there, awkwardly avoiding each other's eyes. He hunched his shoulders and shoved his hands in the pockets of his cut-offs, and I shuffled my feet and dripped on the carpet.

"Look, I'm sorry I just ran off from the Cullen's today. That was a really lame thing for me to do," I said earnestly when the uncomfortable silence seemed to stretch on for far too long.

Embry's head shot up, and he gaped at me with wide, surprised eyes. "What are you apologizing to me for? I was the one being an ass," he exclaimed.

"No, you weren't," I automatically responded, then stopped and thought for a second. "Okay, you were a little bit, but so was I. And I'm sorry."

"No, it was my fault. I was totally out of line, and I-"

"Tank, you do realize it's completely stupid of us to argue about who should be more sorry, right?" I broke in with a grin. He started to argue, then snapped his mouth shut and grinned.

"So... does this mean you're planning to stay the night?"

I wrinkled up my nose. "Only if you give me some dry clothes."

"Oh! Right. Sorry..." he muttered sheepishly, already diving into what I presumed was a 'clean' pile of clothes. He tossed me a t-shirt and a pair of boxers (which I hoped to heaven _were _actually and truly clean), and dutifully turned around so I could change.

I was so tired, I crawled right into bed as soon as I was dressed and closed my eyes. I could feel the bed shift as Embry slid in next to me and yawned as we settled into my favorite position with his arms securely around me and my head resting on his chest.

"Are you still going to invite me to come along on Saturday?" his voice rumbled through his chest and vibrated my ear.

"I thought you didn't like surfing," I mumbled sleepily.

"Maybe I changed my mind."

"You're such a girl," I teased as I snuggled in closer. "Of course I want you to come along."

"Good, 'cause I was going to go anyway," he replied, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

"Stalker," I murmured, then yawned widely. "Rose and Alice are buying me a new bikini. 'Night, Tank."

All I got was a frozen sounding "um" in reply, and I grinned as I drifted off into sleep.


	18. Learning to Swim

**Learning to Swim**

**AN: **_I am so deeply, humbly sorry about the (long) delay in updating. Unfortunately, my medications didn't work like they were supposed to, and- as my therapists, doctors, and psychoanalyists so eloquently put it- I have been __**very ill**__. As if I couldn't figure that out for myself. So, between the multiple appointments, treatments, crisis center visits, and moving across the country, my brain hasn't functioned well enough for writing. __**  
**__As always, __**THANKS SO MUCH **__to everyone who's read this story, and a double __**THANK YOU **__to all who've taken the time to review or send me a private message!! It really, really has meant SO much to me, and is the number one reason I'm still attempting to write this. PLEASE keep it up. For me? _

_Okay, enough with the whining and excuses..._

_

* * *

  
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Contrary to everything I'd been hoping for, Saturday dawned clear, bright, and unseasonably warm. Damn it all.

Like every morning, Squidman Embry had my legs trapped in his and his arms wrapped tightly around me. To top it off, he'd rolled half on top of me, too. There was no way I could sneak out this morning, not that I really minded. I was surprisingly comfortable trapped under his weight with his face tucked into the curve of my neck and shoulder.

That, and I was in no hurry to start what was sure to be a really interesting day- and not in a good way, either.

Unfortunately, as the sun crept closer and closer to mid-morning, I knew we really had to get up before one of our moms caught us. As usual, it took a good five minutes of prodding to get any sort of response from Embry. And the reponse I got was less than productive.

"'Smatter? It's Saturday. We're sleeping in," he mumbled as he tightened his arms around me to the point where I could officially no longer move.

"Fine. You can sleep in, but I've got to get to First Beach," I replied casually. "I've got that new bikini, and I _did _promise Mike I'd be there."

He twitched. "Screw Mike."

"Well, gee, I hardly know the guy, but if you insist..."

Embry's long fingers poked unmercifully at my sides, and I squirmed and giggled helplessly in a vain attempt to get out of his grasp. He merely rolled on top of me to pin me down and kept tickling.

"Stop, stop! Can't breathe!" I finally gasped out, and he poked me a few more times for good measure before he stopped. Instead of rolling off of me, he propped himself up on his elbows and watched as I slowly caught my breath.

"Forget the beach. Let's just stay here," he murmured, and his dark, chocolate brown eyes looked deep and warm enough for me to melt into.

Holy hannah, I _was _melting into them! They were so... so... I don't even know what they were. Perfect? Maybe. They sure made my heart pound and my thoughts go all wonky. As in, suddenly I found myself thinking crazy things like, 'hell, yes, let's stay here! And make out like horny teenagers!"

I was going insane. That's all there was to it. Why else would my eyes be wandering down to his lips and imagining what they would feel like on... random areas of me. Or how he'd react if I just reached up and kissed the hell out of him.

Which is what I was just about to do.

Until Embry's mom knocking on his door stopped me, that is.

"Embry? Hon, you awake?" she called through the door, sending both of us into a panic.

"Yeah, Mom! I'm up- just hold on a sec!" Embry shouted as the doorknob started to turn. In a wild scramble of arms and legs, we both struggled to get off the bed, and I landed on my butt with a painful thump.

"Hide!" he hissed at me frantically, and I scanned the room wildly as the door started to open.

Shit! Nothing for it but to dive under the bed. Embry's foot gave my backside an almighty shove, and I slid through the dust bunnies to bang my head against the far wall. Scowling, I rubbed my growing lump and watched as his mom's fuzzy gorilla-slippered feet came into the room.

"Geez, Mom! You can't just come barging into my room like that. What if I was naked or something?" I heard Embry exclaim.

"Oh, please. Who do you think used to wipe your butt every time you had to poop?"

I stifled a giggle as his big feet shuffled embarrassedly. "God, Mom! I was two!"

She snorted. "It was longer than that, little boy. Anyway, aren't you supposed to be meeting Leah at First Beach?"

"Not for another hour."

"She's very pretty, you know," his mom said in that carefully casual voice mothers use when they're trying to be subtle about pointing out how much they'd like to see the two of you get together.

"Yeah, Mom, I know that, and-"

"I really like her, too. She's a nice girl. Just your type, isn't she?"

"Oh, god. Really don't want to talk about this right now, Mom!" Embry moaned, and I stuffed my whole fist in my mouth to muffle my laughter.

"I'm just saying that maybe it's time you made your move. You've been spending all your time together lately, and I know how much you li-"

"_Mom! _Stop! Just... I get it, okay?" he cut in frantically. "Thanks for the advice. Really. But I'm gonna get dressed now."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop butting into your love life."

I saw his feet herding her back towards the door as he heaved a huge sigh. "_Than_k _you_. Now can you please-"

"I'm just worried about you. It's what moms do, you know," she continued, and Embry moved a little faster towards the door.

"I've got it all under control, Mom. Really. Nothing to worry about!"

I saw her feet stall and turn around in the doorway. "Just flex those muscles and sweep her off her feet. Better yet, just swoop in and kiss her."  
"_Mom! _Go away!" he nearly shouted in embarrassment, and I knew he could hear my muffled laughter even if she couldn't. His mom seemed to finally surrender, and he closed the door with a snap. Before either one of us could move, she opened it again just far enough to stick her head into the room.

"Not that I'm encouraging it, but you _will _use protection, right?"

"_**MOM!!**_"

"Right, right. I'm going!"

The door snapped shut again, and Embry sank to his butt and leaned his back against it. Giggling, I crawled out from under the bed to find him blushing crimson from toes to hairline.

"Sorry about that," he muttered without actually looking at me.

I picked a few dust bunnies out of my hair. "What for? I think your mom's hilarious! And she seems to like me, which is always a big plus."

"Yeah, well, glad you thought that was funny..." he grumbled, still blushing, and I laughed.

"Tank, for all the times she wiped your naked, poopy butt, she's earned the right to embarrass you whenever she feels like it."

He chucked a wadded-up, dirty sock at me, and it missed me by scant millimeters as I yanked out the screen window and dropped easily to the ground.

"See you in a bit!" I called quietly to him over my shoulder as I took off into the trees, giggling the whole way.

Malea Call was an interesting woman. And Embry loved her to bits and pieces, which made it really confusing to me why he seemed to avoid letting she and I get to know each other. I suppose it had something to do with his ridiculous decision not to tell her about the whole shape-shifting business. He was just damn lucky she'd given up trying to ground him whenever he was out late now.

But holy hell, that'd been a close call this morning! If she'd found me in his room, I could only begin to imagine what kind of rage-fest we'd be living through right now. Although... with how she was talking this morning, maybe she wouldn't have minded all that much...

I giggled again just thinking about how mortified Embry had been when she told him to give me a big ol' sloppy kiss. That got me thinking about just how close I had come to planting one of those on _him, _and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Those thoughts were so many levels of bad, I couldn't even begin to sort them out! He was a _Wolf_. An _unimprinted _Wolf! What the hell was I thinking?? Hadn't I already sworn to myself that I would never, ever cross that invisible line from friendship into... something else?

Besides which, I couldn't actually be attracted to him, right? I was too damaged from Sam. I still _loved _Sam. Didn't I?

Ah, hell. Everything was just so damn confusing!!

Somehow, I'd gotten home and was already dressed in the designer bikini without even realizing what I was doing, so obsessed with my own thoughts. Oh, well. At least I hadn't had to sit and stew over wearing those rather flimsy scraps of material.

My cellphone rang, and I answered it without even glancing at the caller.

"Hi, Leah! I got your number from the store- hope you don't mind!" Mike's overly cheery voice exclaimed in my ear.

"Oh. Hey, Mike," I replied, but he cut me off eagerly.

"So I just got to La Push and thought I'd call and see if you wanted a ride."

I grinned at the instant mental picture of Embry squeezing himself into the backseat of Mike's car. "Thanks, but I'm gonna walk. I'll just meet you there in a bit, okay?"

"Oh. Okay. Well, don't take too long. Who knows how long this weather will hold," he replied, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. I rolled my eyes and thanked the gods he couldn't see me.

"I'll leave in a few minutes. Promise," I told him, and hung up as Seth poked his head around my door.

"You almost ready, Leah?" he asked me. "Embry's waiting for you. And tell me that's not what you're wearing."

"If I don't wear this, Rose and Alice will skin me alive," I told him seriously as I grabbed my white cover up and rushed out the door.

"I won't tell them if you don't!" he called after me, but I ignored him. Those two vamp girls had an uncanny knack for finding out things they wanted to know, and I did _not _want to be on the receiving end of their wrath. Besides, despite the fact that there wasn't much fabric to speak of, designer clothes really did something for a person.

Unfortunately for me, I ran smack into Embry as I hurtled down the stairs- which felt exactly how I imaged running full force into a brick wall would feel. He had on a pair of black swimtrunks slung low on his hips, and I had to swallow a few times before I drag my eyes away from the rippling, bronze skin inches away from my eyes. How many times by now had I seen his naked, chiseled chest? It was becoming seriously pathetic that I couldn't stop myself from drooling over it every time.

"Ready?" I asked as I quickly scooped up my beach bag and grinned at him.

He grimaced. "Seriously, why do you want to go hang out with some kids from Forks that you don't even know?"

"_Because. _Meeting new people might be fun. And anyway, there probably won't be too many people there," I told him as I took his hand to drag him along behind me.

"Yeah, maybe we'll outnumber them," Seth piped up suddenly, making us both jump in shock. He and Jacob stood behind us, both of them in swimtrunks and bare feet with a towel slung over their shoulders.

"What the hell? Where do you think you're going?" I demanded, dropping Embry's hand to put my fists on my hips and give Seth my most dangerous, patented 'older sister death glare'. It was a pity it was wasted on him, since he was too busy grinning at us to notice.

"The beach just sounded like a good idea today," he replied cheerfully, completely oblivious to my annoyance. Embry gave him a high-five and followed him out the front door. I threw my hands up in defeat and stomped after them with Jacob chuckling away beside me.

"So how come you're going?" I growled at Jake. "Don't tell me you pissed off Edward or something and you're grounded from seeing Nessie."

"Psh. No way. They love me now, remember?"

"Right. Until she gets older and the two of you get caught making out," I snorted.

Jake looked completely horrified. "What? How can you even think like that? She's just a little kid!"

"Yeah, for now," I agreed. "But she's not going to stay a kid for very long, and then.... Ugh, do you know how creepy it is to think about that?"

"Hey! I didn't choose to imprint, you know!" he insisted sourly, obviously more upset over me saying it was creepy than the fact that he'd imprinted on Nessie.

I frowned. "Yeah, actually, you did choose it."  
"What?" he asked, completely confused.

"Well, you wanted to imprint, right?" I replied, and he blinked at me. "C'mon, Jake. I was in your head. You were almost desperate to imprint, just so you could forget about Bella. And you got your wish."

"I... guess. I never saw it like that," he answered slowly, idly scratching his cheek. I could see the gears working it over in his brain as he stared off into the distance. I just rolled my eyes and snorted in annoyance.

The ocean sparkled under the rare sunshine when we reached the beach, and for once the sand actually looked warm and dry- at least in spots, anyway. Mike began to wave wildly once he caught sight of me, and I gave him a half-hearted one back.

"Damn. Is he always that cheerful?" Embry demanded under his breath. "He's like Seth on happy drugs."

"Jasper Crack?" I whispered back, and he grinned at me.

"I still can't believe I missed that," Jake muttered, and I gave him a quick smack in the arm.

"Leah! My working buddy! Ready to hit the waves?" Mike exclaimed as soon as we got close enough. He looked like he was seriously considering putting an arm around my shoulders, or even- god forbid- _hugging_ me, and I stopped a healthy distance away from him.

"Sure, why not?" I replied, then gave a casual wave at the hulking boys behind me. "I hope you don't mind I brought some friends."

Miked kept a friendly grin on his face as he looked the three of them over, but there was no denying the nervous edge in his eyes. Not that I could blame him, really. Seth looked friendly enough, but Jake and Embry looked anything but.

"Sure! The more the merrier, right?" Mike exclaimed and quickly turned his eyes back to me.

"So, everyone, this is Leah," he announced, turning to the curious group of friends behind him. "Leah, we've got Tyler, Lauren, Jess, and Eric. Angela and Ben couldn't make it."

"Seth, Jake, and Embry," I replied, pointing to each of them in turn. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. I _really _didn't like the way the girls were eying up Embry's bronzed abs.

Oh, shit! What if he imprinted on one of them??

Surreptitiously, I scanned his face for any of the telltale signs of imprintation- the starry, dumbstruck eyes, the slack jaw with the tongue hanging out, staring like a creepy freak at some poor, unsuspecting girl- but no. He looked the same as always, although considerably grumpier than normal. I heaved an enormous sigh of pure relief.

"So, where's your wetsuit, Leah?" Mike asked me casually as I dropped my bag to the sand.

"Uh, what?"

"Your wetsuit. For surfing," he clarified. "It's only the beginning of May. That water's, like, frigid."

"Oh! Right," I replied, suddenly catching on. Normal humans couldn't go swimming for long in those temperatures without risking hypothermia... damn it all! There went my fun in the waves.

"Well, actually, I was just planning to stay dry. Catch some rays or something."

Mike's face fell. "Oh. Well, okay then. But next time we're getting you up on a board!"

"Sure, sure. Absolutely," I agreed quickly, placating him, and he grinned at me before grabbing his board to follow his friends into the water.

Scowling, I pulled out my towel and laid it down on the sand. Embry flopped onto his butt next to it, and I caught the laughing gleam in his eyes.

"Hold up! You realized I'd need a wetsuit if I wanted to go surfing!" I accused him in an angry whisper. He put his hands up in gesture of innocence.

"I did not!" he exclaimed, and I glared at him. "Okay, maybe I did. But it's not my fault if you didn't think about it!"

"Jerk. You did it on purpose so I'd be stuck on the beach."

"The things you accuse me of!" he said with mock indignation. I huffed and yanked my white cover-up over my head to toss it on the sand next to my bag.

Embry breathed out something under his breath so quietly I couldn't quite make it out, but it sounded a lot like "holy shit!". I scowled at him, but he was suddenly intensely interested in the sand by his feet. And why the hell was he turning so red??

Boys. They made zero sense.

Annoyed, I flopped myself down on my towel and stretched out lazily in the sun. Mmm... who cared about not getting in the water when the sunlight felt like heaven, anyway? And the way Embry kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, like he didn't want me to catch him looking, was pure comic gold. Whenever he snuck a peek, I'd get a fuzzy jolt of butterflies fluttering through me, and I couldn't decide if I liked the feeling or not. On the one hand, it was exhilarating, because I felt like a silly, idealistic teenager falling in love for the first time, but on the other hand, just knowing that's what it felt like scared the bejeezus out of me.

"So... that's the new bikini, huh?" Embry finally asked, still refusing to look directly at me.

"Mm. Not sure I would've chosen this pattern, but you know Alice..."

"No, I like it. Metallic leopard print is really..." he trailed off, obviously trying to figure out something nuetral to say. "It's really noticeable," he finished lamely, and I laughed.

"Somewhere, you just made Dolce and Gabbana cry for calling their designer swimsuit 'noticable'," I teased, poking one of his legs with my bare toes.

"Ah, hell. Here comes the airhead squad," he muttered darkly, and I turned my head to see Lauren and Jessica approaching us. I didn't have time to order him to be nice before they were spreading their towels on the sand, Jessica on one side of me, and Lauren on the other side of Embry. I hid a grin when he blatantly shifted closer to me.

"Leah, I love your swimsuit! Where'd you get it?" Jessica gushed, and I couldn't tell if it was a ploy to distract me as Lauren inched her way closer to Embry's side.

"Thanks. It's, um... it's..." I wasn't sure if I should rub the designer label in her face or not, but the way Lauren was making eyes at my Tank was _really _starting to piss me off. "It's a Dolce and Gabbana," I finished, and smiled a trifle smugly at the stunned look on her face.

Okay, so maybe I was still a little bit of a bitch.

"Dolce and... Aren't those, like, super expensive?" Jessica finally managed to ask, and I shrugged indifferently.

"Well, yeah, but designer clothes really do something for a girl's figure. Don't you think, Tank?"

By now, he was crowding into me on my towel while Lauren leaned forward as she smiled and tried to start a conversation with him. He glanced at me, totally flustered, before jumping to his feet.

"I'm gonna go cool off. Yeah. Uh, see ya," he muttered uncomfortably before darting off toward the water.

"Geez, what's his hurry?" Lauren griped, but she lost no time moving her towel right up next time mine. I began to feel like a bug under a microscope from the way they were scrutinizing me.

"So... Leah," Jessica drawled casually. "Are you two, like, a _thing_?"

I blinked at her blankly. "I'm sorry?"

"You and Embry. Are you guys together or what?" Lauren asked bluntly

"Um..." Holy crap! Now what? The technical answer for that was 'no', but I seriously didn't want to tell _them _that. I mean, that would be like giving them the green light to be all over him. _My _Tank!

Except that he wasn't really my Tank. And I didn't want him to be- not like that, anyway. Right?

Man, I really had to get my sanity evaluated.

"'Cause, you know, I overheard Mike telling Eric and Tyler that you said you were single, but just now, you kind of looked... _together_," Jessica continued when I didn't answer them. I swallowed hard.

"No- we're just friends," I finally managed to say, and Lauren's grin brightened about ten watts. "We're really, _really _close friends," I emphasized, and smiled while glaring daggers at her turned head.

"Oh, my lord," Jessica breathed suddenly, and both of us turned to look where she was staring.

"You have _got _to be kidding me," I groaned at the same time that Lauren gave a tiny, excited squeal.

I should have known better than to go to First Beach on one of only ten probable nice days of the year. Really, I should have. Maybe I was just secretly masochistic or something.

_Of course _the half the La Push Pack would pick _today _to head to the beach en masse. And there I sat, in all my ridiculous, designer, metallic leopard print, barely-there bikini glory. I _knew _Fate had only been taking a vacation lately. It was apparently now back and ready to hand me my sorry ass on a silver platter.

"My _god_, gimme a piece of that chunk of male perfection!" Lauren exclaimed under her breath, and I had to bite my lips hard to keep from laughing out loud. She had _no _idea that every boy in the Pack had heard her as clearly as if she'd just shouted it.

"No kidding. Why the hell are you still single, Leah?" Jessica agreed, giggling. I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself so deep in the sand that I'd come out in China.

Salvation! Quil, with Claire riding on his shoulders, spotted me when he heard Jessica say my name and waved with a big grin plastered on his face. I scrambled to my feet and headed over to him while Jake, Embry, and Seth came charging out of the water.

"Heya, Leah!" Quil exclaimed cheerfully as he gently swung little Claire down to the sand.

"Hey," I replied as I crouched down to grin at the little girl clutching the bottom of his swimtrunks possessively. "Hey, Claire. Haven't seen you in a while. You're getting big!"

She smiled proudly at me and held up three stubby fingers. "I'm fwee!"

"Yo, lil' princess!" shouted Seth, and Claire squealed with giggles as he swung her up and tickled her stomach. He tossed her to Embry, and the two of them started a weird game of tickle-catch with her. Quil watched, grinning broadly every time Claire laughed.

"So, why the hell are most of Sam's Pack here, Quil?" Jake asked in a low undertone. "It's not like they need a nice day to be at the beach or anything."

Quil shrugged and looked sheepishly amused. "Well... I might'a mentioned something about Leah spending the day at the beach with some of the Forks kids, and... here we are. Guess you've got yourself a few fanboys, Leah," he chuckled, waggling his eyebrows at me. I gave him my most vicious harpy-Leah death glare.

"Hilarious, Quil. You're a real comedian."

"I wasn't joking," he replied seriously. "Nice bikini, by the way. But you shoulda stuck with a one-piece granny suit if you didn't want a bunch of guys drooling over you."

I flamed scarlet from hairline to collarbone. "Quit being an ass, Quil."

"Hey! Watch the language," he muttered, jerking his head toward an oblivious Claire. "And I was just trying to warn you 'bout the guys."

"Thanks. But I doubt I'll need the tip," I snapped before flouncing back to my towel. It was scary how quickly I morphed back into a waspy bitch with the right kind of provocation.

"So, are you going to introduce us to your friends?" Lauren asked the moment I flopped myself back down on my towel.

I scowled heavily. "They're not my friends."

"Really? Some of them are totally staring at you, though," Jessica replied with a nervous, excited giggle. "Is that tall, muscled thing, like, genetic or something?"

"Um, yeah. You could say that," I managed to answer once I'd swallowed my hysterical laughter. I risked a quick glance at the La Push Pack, and instantly regretted it when the kid from the bonfire waved at me eagerly. And, _oh dear god, _Brady was with them. Staring at my legs like a braindead, drooling idiot. _Again. _Quil caught my eye as I hastily looked away, pretending not to notice, and he quirked his eyebrows at me as if to say he told me so. The stupid jerk.

Mike suddenly plopped himself down uncomfortably close to me on my towel, completely scaring the bejeezus out of me since I'd been too busy glaring at Quil to notice him. Tyler and Eric were with him, and Lauren squealed loudly when Tyler purposefully dripped cold water on us. Thank god she was making enough noise for the both of us, because I didn't even react.

"So, more friends of yours, Leah?" Mike asked with forced cheerfulness, nodding towards the La Push Pack.

"Don't look at me. I didn't invite them," I muttered. Quil merely smirked at me when I flashed him an evil look.

Tyler somehow managed to wedge himself between Lauren and I, and I suddenly found myself feeling incredibly claustrophobic. He grinned roguishly at me and bumped my shoulder with his playfully, completely ignoring the dirty look Mike was giving him from my other side.

"So, too chicken to get out there and surf, huh Leah?" Tyler asked as he waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Leave her alone, man. She just didn't feel like getting in the water," Mike snapped before I had a chance to do more than open my mouth.

"What the hell, dude! I was just starting a conversation!"

They kept bickering, and I just sat there, stuck in-between them while Lauren and Jessica drilled holes in my skull with their eyes. And Eric Yorkie just stood there, _staring _at me with his mouth slightly open until I had an intense urge to grab the nearest towel and hide under it. And to make it even better, I knew that every Wolf-boy on the beach could see (and hear) what was going on.

Why, exactly, had I thought this little get together would be fun?

I froze solid when Mike suddenly slung his arm across my shoulders and announced that I was his favorite working buddy ever. Instinctively, I looked past Eric at Embry, though I wasn't quite sure why. Quil took one glance at the narrowed glare he had fastened on Mike and snatched Claire out of his hands immediately.

Ah, bloody hell! If I didn't do something fast, the poor, clueless, blond puppy was going to get pummeled into a miserable, messy pulp. Unless Seth and Jacob somehow stopped Embry, which was looking more unlikely by the second.

"I'm just gonna go cool off for a bit," I mumbled as I hastily wiggled my way out from under Mike's arm.

"I'll come with you," he replied instantly as he and Tyler both started to scramble to their feet. Jessica and Lauren were practically vibrating with resentment by this point, and I had to fight a wild, momentary urge to just bust out of my skin and get the hell out of there. But shifting into a giant Wolf right in front of a group of normal humans wasn't a very good idea, especially given the fact that _everybody_ on the beach would get a momentary glimpse of the very little skin I wasn't already showing.

Ugh. No thanks.

"Really, don't bother. I'm just gonna walk down the water," I managed to get out through the gritted teeth of my fake smile. The two boys obviously didn't get the hint, since they kept standing there grinning at me.

My brain was frantically trying to come up with some other excuse to get them both to sit back down when a heavily muscled, hot arm suddenly snaked across my neck into a loose, mock choke-hold. Oooh, shit.

"Hey, B. You gonna get your feet wet today or what?" Embry asked me nonchalantly, but both Tyler and Mike's grins faltered. I elbowed him surreptitiously in the ribs, and the barely audible grunt he gave was marginally satisfying.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go test out the water now, actually," I replied cooly, and hoped he'd take the hint and play nice. Apparently, he didn't, because the look Mike shot him was a mix of forced friendliness and nervous defiance.

"Yeah. _We _were just heading there," he told Embry forcefully. With the way he said it, I wouldn't have been at all surprised if he'd grabbed my arm and tried to pull me to his side. Thank god he didn't, because he probably would've ended up with a seriously close encounter between my fist and his nose.

At any rate, I'd definitely had enough of that testosterone-fueled party. I slipped out from under Embry's arm and headed swiftly toward the crashing waves, totally uncaring who was actually following me. Embry, naturally, was the first to catch up with me, but Mike and Tyler weren't far behind. I glanced behind me to see the other girls looking completely disgruntled. At least Eric Yorkie had stayed behind with them, and- what the _hell_! Was he staring at my _butt_?

I very nearly started to stomp back there and pummel the creeper so hard it'd make his anscestors bleed, but Tyler asking curiously how the La Push guys could stand being in the icy water with just their swimtrunks on distracted me.

"Warm blood. Genetics, man," Embry explained casually with an uncaring shrug of his shoulders. I shot him a quick, dirty look while all the other Wolf boys on the beach laughed under their breath. I glanced around to Seth and Jake, and frowned at their unconvincingly innocent faces when Jake quickly whipped something behind his back.

I didn't have any time to figure out what they were up to, because Tyler suddenly threw me over his shoulder and charged into the water with me. He dropped me in waist-deep water, laughing his head off, as I just opened and shut my mouth like a fish, too pissed off to say anything.

"Gotcha, Leah!" he crowed, and I quivered from head to toe, wishing I could shift and bite his arms off. The bastard had not only picked me up, he'd stuck his hand on my ass doing it, too!

"Yeah. Yeah, you got me," I agreed through gritted teeth and a fake, plastered on smile. My hand shot out and grabbed the front of his wetsuit, face-planting him in the water before he'd realized what I was doing.

"What the hell, Tyler. That was totally uncool," Mike snapped at him, plowing through the water to my side as he came spluttering to the surface again.

"It was just a joke. Leah knew it was a joke, right, Leah?" Tyler implored me. Mike ignored him and slung his arm over my shoulders.

"Jeez, you're really shivering. Let's get back on the sand."

Added to the fact that I really didn't want his hand dangling that close to my chest, trying to walk through waves with someone who's barely your height as they keep an arm around you isn't exactly _fun_. Attempting to shrug him off politely didn't work, though. The boy was stuck onto me like a leech. Where the hell was my Tank?

Ah. Standing on the beach getting flirted up by Jessica and Lauren, looking like he was doing his very best not to notice my predicament. That complete jerk!

I stomped my way over to my towel, still unable to shake off Mike's arm, and did my damndest to ignore the way Lauren coyly put her hand on Embry's arm and smiled seductively at him. It was a relief when Mike had to release me when I flopped down onto my towel, but it didn't help to lighten my mood all that much. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jake holding something up, but he hid it before I could get a good look at what he was doing. He sure looked nervous, though...

A shadow fell over me, and I looked up fully expecting to see Tyler or maybe Eric. But noooo, my luck just had to be a whole lot crappier than that. There stood the La Push Pack, and every one of them was staring down at me eagerly and ignoring Mike completely. The kid from the bonfire grinned nervously.

"Hey, Leah! We met at the meeting the other night, remember?"

"Yeah. Hi, um... Joshua," I said slowly, praying that I'd gotten his name right.

His cheerfully hopeful face fell a little bit. "Uh, I'm Matt, actually."

Oops. "Matt. Right. Sorry."

"S'okay," he replied quickly, the grin back to full force on his cute, boyish face. "So, me and the guys were just gonna start a game of touch football, and we thought that maybe you'd wanna play?"

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

Play touch football in a _bikini_? Good lord, what did they think this was, the Playboy Fantasy Sports Channel?? What the hell did they expect me to say? Oh, _sure _boys. Why not? I'd love to have you all 'accidentally' grope me!

Ha! Only if I got to break each and every one of their fingers when they did.

"Wow. Sounds tempting," I finally replied, and I was proud at how little sarcasm I let seep through my voice. "But you know what? I'm actually gonna head home. Maybe some other time."

_Not likely!!_ Their faces all fell in unison, and I had a hard time not rolling my eyes at their stupidity for actually thinking I might even consider it.

"But, hey- I bet Mike here would _love _to join you guys!" I threw in before anyone could say another word. Secretly, the look of nervous terror fleeting across Mike's face made the entire fiasco of a day worth it. Not that I could really blame him; any one of the La Push kids could break him in half.

"No, no, that's okay. Hey- you're not really leaving already, are you, Leah?" he said, frantically scrambling to his feet as I stood up and shook out my towel.

"Yeah. I told you I probably wouldn't stick around all that long."

He ran a hand through his blond hair, making it stick up in funny directions. "Oh. Right."

The La Push Pack started to drift off down the beach again, but more than one of the boys was doing their best to ogle me without my noticing. And, dammit, Brady was _still _staring at my legs. He'd better hope he imprinted on a supermodel with that leg fetish of his.

Matt lingered a little bit longer, still grinning hopefully at me. "So, I guess I'll see you around La Push, then. Maybe we can hang out sometime. As a group," he hastily added at my raised eyebrow, his face turning tomato-red under his bronze skin.

"Yeah, maybe," I agreed noncommittally, and heaved a sigh of relief when he turned and darted off after his Packmates.

"I'll drive you home," Mike said, more of a statement than an offer, and I quickly shook my head.

"No, thanks. Really, I'd rather just walk."

He grinned, persistent. "Okay, then I'll walk you home."

I told myself firmly to count to ten before I burst out of my skin and bit his head off, but I only got to 3 before Embry's deep voice interrupted me.

"Don't bother, man. We're both headed the same way, so..."

His voice was friendly enough, but from the look on Mike's face, I guessed that his body language was completely the opposite. Mike swallowed heavily, raised his hands and backed up a step. "Three's a crowd, right? I guess I'll... see you at work, then, Leah."

"Yeah. See ya," I muttered, but I managed to flash him a fake grin before turning to glare at Embry.

He blinked at me innocently. "Ready to go?"

"You are such an _ass_," I hissed at him as I marched through the sand.

"Me? What the hell did_ I_ do?"

"Oh, nothing. Just stood there _flirting_ and left me to deal with all the pervs by my lonesome, that's all!"

"That's rich," he snorted. "'Cause you weren't doing _any _flirting yourself."

"_I was not!" _I spat at him, vibrating with anger. "Why don't you go back and see if Lauren wants to play a private game of touch football with you?"

His face spasmed with disgust, and then he crossed his arms over his drool-worthy chest and smirked at me. "Hold up. You're not _jealous_, are you?"

My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates even as hot blood rushed into my cheeks. I glared ferociously at him, and it took all my willpower not to smack him to another dimension with my beach bag.

"_Jealous? _What the hell- why would I be jealous, you- you- _arrogant puppy!_" I spluttered out. "_And why the hell is Jake taking pictures of us?!"_

"Huh?" Embry grunted, completely confused by my last indignant shriek.

"There. Right there! He was snapping pictures of us with his cell!" I hissed, pointing to a very guilty looking Jacob trying to hide behind a tree and failing miserably.

"Don't even think about running," I warned him as I stalked towards him, Embry a step behind me. "It'll just make me more pissed off if I have to catch you."

To Jake's credit, he took my threat seriously and came out from behind the tree. He was still trying to hide his cellphone behind his back and looked like a cornered rabbit.

"Hey, guys. What's the big deal? I was just testing out my new camera phone, and-"

"Cut the bull and hand over that phone, Jake," I growled, too angry to even check if Embry was backing me up or not.

"No way! It's brand new, and I-"

"Hand it over before I have to rip it out of your bloody, dismembered hand and shove it down your throat!"

I must've looked downright terrifying, because he handed it over without another word. Quickly, I scrolled through the photo album, growing more mortified with every shot. Good lord, they were all pictures of _me_, in the most embarrassing situations. Mike with his arm draped over me, Tyler's hand on my bum, the La Push guys staring at me...

"What the hell _is _this, Jacob Black?" I screeched. "You'd better have a damn good excuse for this, or so help me-"

"Rosalie! It's all Rosalie's fault!" Jake broke in quickly, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Honest. She and Emmett and Alice made me swear to send them pics of... of the beach stuff and send it to them all day. I didn't have a choice!"

"Oh, really? I don't see them here with their fangs at your throat!"

"They threatened to not let me see Nessie, Leah," he whined. Only the memory of my poor, broken fingers kept me from socking him right in the nose then and there. Instead, I swiftly dialed Rosalie's number.

_"Hey, Mutt, did they leave already?" _Rosalie's perfect voice rang through the phone.

"Having fun, are we?" I asked her in a deceptively pleasant voice.

_"Oh.... Leah. How's the beach?"_

"Games up, vamp girl. Care to explain just why you had Jake sending you pics of me all day?" I demanded bluntly.

"_Ah, you know about that, huh?_" she managed to get out between giggles on the other end.

_"What's up? She found out?"_ I heard Emmett ask from somewhere in the background. "_Aw, man! Things were just getting good!"_

_"So, looked like the bikini was a hit," _Rose told me slyly when she stopped laughing for a moment. I heard Emmett grab the phone away from her.

"_I liked the one where Tyler had his hand on your-"_

"Shut up, Emmett! Right now!" I screeched. "You delete those pictures this second, do you hear me?"

Emmett's guffaws nearly deafened me through the phone. "_Too late, lil' sis. Alice has already downloaded 'em and sent them off to one of those digital photo album thingies. Didn't anyone ever warn you about the Cullen Practical Jokes?"_

"This is not funny! _Not funny!_" I hissed in mortification. lt didn't do any good, though, since Emmett continued to howl with laughter and Rosalie kept giggling madly. Even Edward was snickering away in the background.

"Just you wait, you freaky bloodsuckers! Next time I see you I'll-"

"_Oh, you're not going to do a damn thing,_" Rose snorted, grabbing the phone back from Emmett.

"Wanna bet?"

"_Absolutely. I'll just make sure our Mojo Master gets you high again_."

"_Mojo Master? Jasper?? Did ya hear that? Jasper the Mojo Master!" _Emmett burst out, sounding absolutely drunk with glee.

_"Rosalie..."_ Jasper growled threateningly from somewhere in the background, almost drowned out by Emmett's guffaws.

_"Hey, don't blame me, Mojo. Leah's the one who came up with it," _Rosalie informed him blithely.

I tried hard to stifle my laughter, but it was impossible. "Rosalie, you traitor! You are a total bitch, you know that?"

_"Yep. So are you, babe. That's why we get along so well," _she replied.

"Naturally," I agreed sarcastically, grinning even as I rolled my eyes. "By the way- you're going to owe Jacob a new phone."

_"What? Why?"_

"'Cause I'm going to smash this one on his thick skull," I told her cheerfully, and then did exactly that before anyone could react.

"Ow! Leah, what the hell? I told you I didn't have a choice about it!" Jacob yowled, backing away from me and rubbing the lump on his head.

"Don't you 'what the hell' me, buddy!" I snapped. "_You _were still the one taking the pictures! Back me up on this, Tank."

"Don't. Seriously." Jacob implored him, but he just shook his head.

"Sorry, man. Gotta go with B on this one. Besides, you're pretty damn lucky to be getting off with just a broken phone and you know it."

"What the hell's the use of being the Alpha if no one ever does what I tell them to?" Jake grumbled with a scowl as I smirked at him.

"Oh, suck it up, princess. You're the one who said you never wanted to be an Alpha."

"She's gotcha there, bro," Embry threw in sagely, and Jake and I both glared at him for a moment. He merely grinned at us both, and I gritted my teeth and stomped off.

Embry stayed right behind me, and it took everything I had to ignore him for the next hundred yards or so. I mean, I couldn't really beat the bloody snot out of Jacob, being as he was our oh-so-great Alpha and all, so I really, _really _wanted to tear into _somebody_.

And _oh_, did Embry deserve it! Flirting with those stupid, boring girls like that- what was he thinking? I was _way _hotter than either of them. And dammit, I looked like sex walking in the ridiculous designer bikini. Every _other _guy on the beach turned into a drooling monkey after one glance at me. What the hell was wrong with him?

Boiling mad, I whipped around to face him, shaking visibly with annoyance and rage and that ever-present urge to shift. But Embry seemed like he'd been waiting for me to turn around, and he started talking before I could even open my mouth.

"Before you say something stupid about me going back to hang out with Jessica or Lauren, let me just say that _no_, I definitely would _not _be happier being with them than you. No matter how pissed off you are. Got it?"

Well, that kinda took steam right out of my engine. Dammit, I really wanted to get into a huge scream-fight, too, and then he has to get all sweet on me. Scowling, I turned and started walking again.

"You sure _looked _like you wanted to get busy with one of them," I grumbled halfheartedly in an attempt to keep sounding annoyed.

"Not hardly. Those two girls' best bet of _ever_ getting a decent guy is if one of the Pack imprints on her," he snorted as he kept pace by my side. "And man, do I pity the guy if that happens."

I blinked hard and bit my lip, watching my feet so he couldn't easily see my face. "Don't you... don't you ever wish you would just imprint on someone?" I finally asked in a low voice.

"_**Hell, no!**_" he exploded, and I stared round-eyed at him in surprise. The darkest scowl I'd ever seen twisted his face, but he wasn't looking at me. He kicked at rock in the road and sent it flying with so much force that it imbedded deeply into the side of an enormous, old tree.

"Meet some random girl, and the _boom_, turn into a brain-dead idiot that can't even think rationally anymore? Not able to see one flaw, never able to get angry at her or argue? Have a different opinion? No, thanks. I wanna make up my own mind about who I love and why."

Pain stabbed at me, twisting and clawing in my chest. "You don't exactly get to choose who you fall in love with, you know. It's not always that easy," I managed to say, but my voice was harsh and strained. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Embry's big hands clenching and unclenching in a useless sort of way by his sides.

"No kidding," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than me. "But still, I wanna choose what I do about it. And I _never_ want to stop..."

He trailed off abruptly, and I peered curiously at him. "Stop what?" I demanded.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Right. Like I was going to let it go at that. Yanking on his arm, I forced him to stop walking and face me.

"Seriously, Tank. What were you gonna say?"

He scanned the trees behind me, obviously thinking hard, before he gave a defeated shrug. "I don't want to stop..." he paused, his brown eyes looking straight into mine for a brief second before looking away again. "I don't wanna stop... feeling the way I feel now, I guess."

"About what?" I demanded immediately. My hand clutched tighter on his arm, because suddenly, his answer seemed critical. Like whatever it was could send the world- my world- spinning down a completely new path.

He closed his eyes, looking like he was fighting a headache, or maybe trying really, really hard to decide something. I waited impatiently, fighting the intense urge to dig my nails into his bicep and give him a good, hard shake.

"The way I feel... about..." His brown eyes opened and looked down at my confused and expectant ones.

"About?" I prompted, getting irritated that he was taking so long to spit out this irrationally important answer. He took a deep breath and blew it out noisily through his mouth as his eyes slid away from mine and he rubbed a hand over his short-cropped hair.

"About everything. People. Life. That's all."

"Oh," I replied, disappointed even though I couldn't fathom why. The hand that had been gripping his arm dropped listlessly to my side, and for a moment, we both stared off in opposite directions silently.

"Uh, I gotta go," Embry said finally, and he rubbed his hand over his hair again. "Mom wanted me to do some chores 'n stuff today, so..."

I shook myself mentally and managed to nod. "Yeah. Okay. I'm supposed to help with some more packing and stuff, too."

"But... I can still come over later, right?"

"You need to ask?" I demanded, rolling my eyes and giving him a smile. "I'll leave the window out for you."

He grinned back before streaking off through the trees, and I stood there in the road like an idiot, staring after him.

I just couldn't shake that odd feeling of disappointment.

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**AN: **_I know... your brain doesn't want to read any more. Sorry for the super long chapter. Just wanted to let you know that now that I have successfully moved across country and health seems to be stabilizing, I should be updating much more often. Keeping my fingers crossed!!_


	19. Dancing

**Dancing**

**AN: **_First of all, I am **so **s__orry I (once again) didn't respond to you, my incredibly awesome reviewers, in person. This time around, I will. Honest. That being said, I hope there's someone out there still interested in this. I know there's been some really huge gaps between chapters. I apologize. I write whenever my mental health is stable enough to allow it, but between bouts of serious illness and all the medications I am on, I'm either psychotic or a zombie 80% of the time. Hence why not much writing gets done. Also, this chapter may feel strange, poorly written, and disjointed. I apologize for that. Thankfully, I am moved, am able to be at home full-time, and have taken up yoga (which I swear is helping more than any of the plethora of drugs **or **doctors). I won't make any false promises about updating more frequently (because look how that turned out last time!), but I **will **promise you that I will try. I have this year to get healthy, and I feel like writing this is part of healing. So.... excuses, excuses. I'll stop now.  
__**As always, THANK YOU SO MUCH **__for taking the time to read and leave a review! Remember- reviews are fanfic crack and keep an author addicted to coming back for more! I love you guys for being patient with me and for putting up with my whining. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

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The house I'd grown up in felt strangely empty. I stood in the doorway of my parents' room and watched the pale morning light filter through the curtains, highlighting the bare walls and empty spaces. There was nothing left of my parents in it anymore. Just a bed, a nightstand, and a lamp.

"Hey, B. You ready?" Embry asked me quietly as he tapped my shoulder gently. "Don't wanna rush you or anything, but Alice is already gonna rip us into little bitty pieces for being late..."

As if to emphasize his point, my phone started chiming out "White Rabbit", Alice's ringtone. Grimacing, I flipped it open, but my hello was cut short.

_"Where the hell __**are**__ you? Do I need to remind you that today is __**your mother's **__wedding day? And you, maid of honor, have important bridesmaid things to be doing?? Number one being getting your butt over here so I can get you dressed and ready?"_

"Seriously, Alice. How long will it take me to put a dress on?" I couldn't resist asking. Her indignant snort made me smother a giggle.

_"Just. Get. Here. **Now****!** Or I swear I will dye your hair neon yellow and shave a smiley face into it!"_

"Okay, okay! We're leaving right now. Calm down!" I laughed, rolling my eyes at a grinning Embry. Alice huffed angrily and hung up.

"So... why 'White Rabbit' for a ringtone?" he asked nonchalantly as he followed me down the stairs.

"That one's just for Alice. You know. _'Go ask Alice, I think she'll know'_."

"Ah, I get it," he replied, then paused. "Hold up, you wasted time picking ringtones for everybody?"

I scowled at him, defensive. "It wasn't a waste of time. I just like knowing who's calling before I answer."

"That's what the little display thing with the name on it is for, isn't it?" Embry asked, grinning broadly. I stuck my tongue out at him and headed out to his old, beat-up Ford.

"Hey, c'mon, B. I'm just teasing you!" he insisted, sliding into the driver's seat next to me. "So... what're some of your other ones?"

I flicked a quick, annoyed glance at him, but he was smiling that big, sweet, goofy grin at me that always made me forget why I was ticked off in the first place. I scrunched up my nose to keep from smiling back and sighed.

"Just, you know, obvious ones. 'Material Girl' for Rose, 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' for Emmett... things like that."

"Ah," Embry replied with an amused grin. I didn't say anything else, and it seemed like he'd dropped the subject as we sped out of La Push towards the Cullen house.

"_Sexy booooy..... Sexy booooooy...."_

Holy shit! Purple-faced, I scrambled for my cell phone and stabbed at the 'reject' button.

"What the hell are you calling me for, Tank? I'm sitting right here!" I huffed, attempting to sound irritated but merely coming off as incredibly mortified.

"I just wanted to know what my ringtone was," he replied innocently, then flashed a cheeky grin at me. "So... you think I'm sexy, huh?"

"What? No! That's not- I mean- I don't-" I spluttered as my face took on the same color and brightness of a stop light.

Embry cut me off, flexing his bicep. "Not that I can blame you. I think I'm pretty damn sexy, too."

"I love modesty in a man," I joked back with a roll of my eyes.

There was no more time for conversation, though, since Alice was running full-speed toward the car as we pulled up the Cullen driveway. She very nearly tore the passenger side door clean off when she yanked it open.

"Hey, hey! Careful with my baby!" Embry protested while Alice pulled me out of the car with the same amount of force.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to damage my model," she told him breezily as she hauled me swiftly up the steps.

"I meant the car," he called stiffly, and I caught a glimpse of his red ears when Alice spun us around to face him.

"_Sure_ you did. Go help the rest of the boys finish setting up and then get dressed yourself. I want everything ready an hour before the ceremony for pictures!"

If he answered her, I missed it as I was propelled at super-human speeds through the house to Alice's private salon. By now I was fairly used to her ruthless make-over methods and spent the next hour or so resisting as little as possible while she transformed me. Naturally, little Nessie sat and watched everything, chattering away excitedly to anyone who would listen. She looked unbelievably adorable in her frilly, white flowergirl dress and a wreath of flowers on top of her bronze ringlets.

When I was finally made-up to Alice's standards and Bella, the only other bridesmaid, had joined us, Alice brought out our dresses. Couture, of course, by some up-and-coming designer, in a gorgeous shade of sage green. The style was plain and reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe's white standing-on-the-air-vent dress.

"Always trying to show off the cleavage," I mock-complained as Bella and I looked ourselves over in the mirror.

"Hey, if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em," Alice replied lightly, sliding in-between us to wrap her small arms around our waists and give us both a squeeze. "I love having beautiful sisters to dress up. Just wait 'til your mom sees you, Leah!"

"Yeah- where is Mom, anyway?" I asked. "Shouldn't you have spent the time you wasted on me primping her?"

"Your mother," Alice ground out, looking thoroughly disgruntled, "is quite possibly the most stubborn woman in the entire world."

"Didn't let you have your way with your make over, huh?" Bella asked, smirking.

"No! She's happy with her dress, she let me do her hair, but that's it!"

I had to laugh at the pout on her face. "Sounds like my mom. So... where'd she go after running away from you?"

"She's down in the kitchen with Esme," Alice groaned, rolling her eyes. "Making lunch for everybody."

"Definitely perfect for Charlie," Bella stated with a satisfied nod as I grinned.

"Right. Well, I'll just head down and see if they need any help."

"Not without me, you don't!" Rose piped up from the doorway. She looked absolutely perfect, as usual, in a fitted black gown that looked like she took it straight off of Audry Hepburn's back in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Except that she had more curves to fill it out.

"I just got the boys all dressed up, and I am _not _missing out on your face when you see Embry," she whispered as we headed down the stairs arm in arm.

"Wha- why?" I stuttered, my face turning red despite my concentrated effort to look completely nonchalant. Truth was, I'd been secretly daydreaming about seeing Embry all dressed up and studly for the last week. Rosalie just rolled her eyes and gave me a look that screamed '_you ain't foolin' nobody, girl!'_.

At the bottom of the stairs, Nessie wormed her way between the two of us and took our hands. Her cherubic face was puckered up in consternation as she studied first my face and then Rosalie's.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" Rose finally asked after she'd done that several times.

"I can't decide who's prettier," she admitted, sounding upset. "You aren't going to be angry with me, are you Auntie Rose?"

Ooooh, boy. I highly doubted anyone had even come _close _to comparing Rosalie with anyone else since she'd been, uh, dead. "Thanks, Nessie. Really. But everybody knows your Aunt Rose is the most beautiful," I broke in hastily.

"No... you look like twin angels. Just one's dark and one's light," Nessie insisted stubbornly, chewing on her bottom lip.

Rosalie looked me over with a half-smile slowly curling her mouth up at the sides. "Twins, huh? Chocolate and Vanilla..."

"So, you're not mad?" Nessie asked cautiously as she watched the two of us grin at each other.

"Of course not, baby! As long as you think us twins are the prettiest ladies in the world, that is."

Nessie giggled happily as Rose swept her up into her arms and tickled her. "Are we gonna go show Embry how pretty Auntie Leah is? 'Cause it's funny when he gets bug-eyed and Uncle Seth has to hit him so he stops staring."

"That doesn't happen!" I protested hotly, and scowled at them giggling madly to each other. For reply, Nessie reached over and touched my face, showing me an exact replay of what she'd described. I thought my head was going to pop off from all the extra blood rushing into my face. Scowling, I stalked off toward the kitchen, leaving them still laughing behind me. Unfortunately for me, my dramatic exit was ruined by Embry coming in through the front door, followed by the rest of the boys. Good god, was I living in a bad comedy sitcom?

But, holy hannah, even my daydream Embry had _nothing _on the piece of male perfection standing in front of me. Seriously, how could he possibly look better in that suit than he did dripping wet in swimtrunks? I didn't have an answer for that, but lordy lord, did he ever!

Checking to make sure my mouth was closed and I didn't have drool dripping off of my chin, I did my best to paste a casual smile on my face. And to stop staring. Why was Seth standing there behind Embry when I needed him behind _me _for a quick reality-check whack or two?

"Wow. Tank. Formal looks good on you," I managed to get out finally. He just stared back at me until Seth gave him a discreet kick on the back of his leg. I refused to acknowledge the fits of giggles coming from behind me.

"Yeah. Good. You, too," he replied quickly in a weird, squeaky-sounding voice. "That's a pretty girl. _Dress. _I meant dress."

More giggles. I suddenly became aware of our audience of very amused looking Cullen and Pack boys standing just behind him in the doorway, and once again felt a heavy blush working it's way up from my collarbones. Jeez, if I kept this up, I was going to spend the day looking more like a Christmas ornament in my green dress than a Maid of Honor.

"Right. Well. See you later," I told him swiftly, abruptly turning on my heel to escape into the kitchen. There was a second of scuffling behind me, and I caught Seth's hissed whisper just before the kitchen door swung shut behind me.

"_God_, man. That's my _sister_."

It was easy to avoid any awkward run-ins after that, since Alice kept the boys busy with last minute details, and my mom used me as a human shield to keep the vamp's repeated make-over attempts at bay. Jasper hovered around in the corners, and I had to wonder what Alice had bargained with to get him to discreetely keep everyone calm and pleasantly happy doing whatever she demanded of them.

Personally, I thought the Mojo Master should've been concentrating more on keeping Alice in check, but maybe he'd learned long ago not to even bother trying. The house was so full of flowers and trailing greenery that it looked like a botanical garden had exploded. The grey, rainy skies outside only made things even prettier, since Alice had had the boys busy stringing tiny, twinkling lights discreetely through all the plants until it looked like everything was glittering. Every time I tried to sit down, she popped up out of nowhere and yanked me back to my feet, muttering about wrinkles. She even tried to refuse to let Mom or I eat any lunch for fear we'd spill something on ourselves before the photographers arrived, but one teensy threat about heading back to the rez until it was time for the ceremony made her back off fast.

It was a huge relief when she and Bella disappeared to go get Charlie. I snagged another plate piled high with food from a beaming Esme and tried to make myself as tiny as possible in a corner of the kitchen. Which, being nearly six feet tall, was not exactly easy.

Embry wandered in looking for more food, spotted me trying to blend into the wall, and headed straight over to me. He snagged a sandwich from my plate and bit off half of it before I had time to protest.

"You know, there's plenty of food. You don't have to go stealing _mine_," I griped half-heartedly as he grinned at me. I dropped my voice to a low, conspiratal whisper. "So... everything set for tonight?"

He swallowed and nodded. "Yep. It's a go. And Edward's promised not to say anything as long as he and Bella aren't included."

"Good. What about Jasper?"

"Too busy dealing with all the crazy emotion to pick up on anything," Embry replied, shrugging. "You realize they're gonna wanna kill us for this."

I grinned evilly. "Yep. Just make sure you catch it all on video."

"Why me? This was your idea!"

"Because I can't exactly run in these shoes," I reasoned, gesturing at my unbelievably high Christian Louboutin heels.

"Good point," Embry conceded after staring at them for a few moments.

Both of us jumped at the bang of the front door being flung wildly open, signaling the return of Alice. Groaning, I hastily shoved my still regrettably-full plate at Embry before she could walk in and catch me with it. No need to give her something else to throw a fit over.

A pained, harrassed- looking Charlie snuck through the kitchen door and sunk down on a stool with a weary sigh. Embry and I exchanged a lightening quick, amused look and headed over towards him.

"Hey, Charlie. How you holding up?" I aked sympathetically. The poor man looked like he'd had the life wrung out of him.

He shook his head mournfully. "This is worse than Bella's wedding. Why'd Sue agree to all this?"

"Don't think she had much of a choice, really," I replied, pulling out a stool for myself, and all three of us sighed. I should have known better than to try to sit down. The deranged pixie herself burst through the door just as my butt was hovering an inch above the seat, and my eardrums popped painfully with her high-pitched shriek.

"_Leah!_ What are you doing? The photographers are going to be here in exactly seven minutes!" I jumped guiltily back to my feet as the miniature vampire stomped toward me and grabbed my arm. Charlie visibly quailed when she turned to him. "I know you and Sue don't care about seeing each other before the ceremony, but _I _do. It's bad luck. So you just go with Embry and stay out of the way until it's time for the guy pictures, okay?"

Charlie nodded mutely, and Embry gave me a sympathetic, encouraging grin as Alice dragged me out of the kitchen. He looked so darn adorably comical doing that I had to stifle a giggle.

Posing for pictures was actually kind of fun, since Alice had hired what I could only guess was a professional crew from a high-end photography studio. Her justification, when my mother threatened to walk out, was that they were there to do family photos as well, and it would be the first professional pictures done of Reneesme. Rosalie and I had a blast commandering one of the photographers and goofing off posing like professional models. That is, until we got a lecture from Carlisle about not drawing attention to our 'inhumanly perfection', which I found absolutely absurd.

The wedding itself was exactly what weddings should be: short and to the point. And, being as there was only Billy and the Denali coven as guests besides the Cullens and the Pack, it was also incredibly informal. Nessie glowed with excitement as she very carefully tossed scented flower petals down the aisle in front of my mother, and everybody laughed when she hugged Charlie and whispered a conspiratal 'good luck' to him. A few short minutes later, he was officially my new step-father, complete with Emmett loudly insisting that he kiss the bride.

Two thousand more pictures and several hours later, everybody loaded into their respective vehicles to follow the bride and groom to the reception. Everybody except for Nessie and Jake, that is. She was a lot less broken-hearted about it than I thought she'd be, but after Carlisle explained why she couldn't meet any humans until she'd finished growing and Jake had promised that they could stay up doing whatever she wanted, she accepted happily enough.

If I'd thought Alice had outdone herself with the wedding itself, it had nothing on the party she'd planned. An enormous tent was set up in Fork's one and only decent park and picnic area, close by the fishing pond. It looked like something straight out of one of those bridal magazines that show impossibly over-the-top receptions very few people could even dream of having. Both Bella and my mom looked ready to spontaneously combust from rage and embarrassment when it became obvious that every single person in Forks and possibly everyone in La Push had been invited. Alice was supremely unconcerned by the hot, fiery death in their eyes- or perhaps oblivious to it- and excitedly bounced from table to table, dragging an unwilling Bella with her.

"Do you think Alice realizes how much shit she's in for pulling this?" Embry whispered to me with a huge grin. I shrugged and wrinkled up my nose.

"Well, she hasn't gotten any visions of being torn limb from limb, so my guess is she's pretty safe."

He smirked and held up the little video camera. "Not for long. Lemme just go have a word with our friendly DJ."

I laughed and watched him weave through the tables to the dance floor until I caught myself staring at his oh-so-fine backside. Damn, but suitpants did something for a man's butt. Shaking my head and telling myself firmly that a girl should _not_ drool over her best friend's butt, I headed over to Rosalie and Emmett.

"Hey, lil' sister!" Emmett exclaimed as he threw an arm around my shoulder. "Man, I love that being official!"

"Except that it's not, technically," I replied teasingly. He pulled a face and moved to give me a noogie.

"_Emmett Cullen_. If you mess up Leah's hair, I swear on your Playstation 3, I will rip your arms off."

Emmett froze at the sound of Alice's venomous whisper, and she pried his arm off of my shoulder and pulled me away from him.

"Jeez, Leah. I can't leave you alone for two seconds before you find some way to wreck my makeover," she sighed, exasperated.

"What happened to Bella?" Rosalie asked.

Alice shrugged and pointed. "I left her over there, talking to Mike Newton and his parents."

"Seriously? That's just cruel."

"Well, _somebody_ had to stop a certain neandrathal from damaging a perfect hair-do." She gave Emmett a hard glare before shrugging. "Besides, Edward's going to swoop in and save her in three, two, one... now."

We all watched as the bronze-haired vamp smoothly integrated himself into Bella and the Newton's conversation and politely rescued her.

"If I could have your attention, please!"

Everyone turned to look at the DJ standing on the stage, gesturing for quiet. Embry slid up beside me and winked as he discreetly aimed the video camera at Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice.

"In honor of the new Mrs. Swan, and as a tribute to her favorite musician, the late Michael Jackson, some of the guests have requested to do their rendition of his greatest song ever- 'Thriller'!!"

"Ugh. If I were human, I'd puke," Rosalie muttered.

"Who's gonna be the idiot doing that?" Alice snickered back. I couldn't help glancing at Embry, and he waggled his eyebrows just the tiniest bit at me.

Emmett looked surprised. "I didn't know your mom liked MJ, Leah. Hell, I thought she had better taste."

"Yeah, she's a closet freak," I replied, doing my best not to laugh.

"So please," the DJ continued, "Put your hands together for Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice Cullen!"

Alice really hadn't spared any expense getting the best crew to DJ this dance. Two of the workers immediately pinned the three of them in spotlights as the entire crowd began to cheer.

"Leah..." Rosalie hissed dangerously under her breath as Embry caught every hilarious moment on video.

"Payback's a bitch, huh?" I giggled. "You guys aren't the only ones who can pull a practical joke."

"Couldn't you at least have picked something else than 'Thriller?'" groaned Emmett, looking pained.

I grinned. "Nope. Blame Jake. He's the one who found out how much you all hated that song."

"That mutt's going to die. Painfully."

"I'm _not _doing this!" Alice whispered fiercely through the clenched teeth of her fake smile.

"Yes, you are. You can't disappoint Sue now, can you?" Embry replied cheerfully. All three of them glanced toward my laughing mother, then flashed us looks of murder.

"I get to be Michael," Emmett declared as they headed reluctantly for the dancefloor. I couldn't resist giving Embry a quick, victorious high-five.

An expectant hush fell over the crowd as the three unlucky vamps got themselves situated in front of the DJ's stand. Rose flashed me a 'you're dead!' signal, and the music started up.

The cheers were deafening, but I was giggling too hard to do anything but wipe my eyes and hold my stomach. Embry struggled to keep the camera steady, he was shaking so hard from laughing. I snuck a glance over at the rest of the Cullens and the Denali clan and laughed even harder at the looks on their faces. Jasper looked like he was in pain, but I guessed it was more from trying to hold in his chuckles than anything else. Alice would murder him if she caught him laughing. Esme, Carlisle, and Bella all stared in comical astonishment, caught somewhere between confusion and glee, while Edward tried hard to look convincingly surprised. Tayna and Kate were holding each other up, laughing helplessly.

Everybody hooted and hollered wildly when the music came to an end, and as expected, Emmett took his time bowing and soaking it up.

"You'd better get ready to run, Tank," I told him in an undertone as the three Dancing Vamps began to make their way through the crowd toward us. "Just get it across the border and then get back here and save _me._"

"Yeah. Good luck!" he replied, shooting me a grin before he disappeared quickly through the crowd.

"Oh, no you don't! Get back here, Embry Call!" Alice hissed and raced- human speed- after him. Emmett hooked an arm around my neck in a loose, but unbreakable, choke-hold to keep me from trying to slow her down, and I pouted in defeat.

"I congratulate you on a joke well played, lil' sister," he said laughingly. "But you do realize that Alice is going to catch him and destroy that camera, right?"

"Doesn't really matter. I'm sure somebody else here got it on video," I replied lightly. He and Rose groaned.

"You just _had _to pull your little joke in front of all these people, didn't you?" Rose muttered, but I could hear the hidden laughter in her voice.

I raised my eyebrows and grinned at her. "And you just _had _to make me wear that leopard-print bikini, didn't you?"

"Touche. We're even," she laughed. "For now, anyway. We've had a lot more years pulling practical jokes than you, and you're-"

She stopped in mid-sentence, all trace of amusement draining swiftly off her face to be replaced with faint hostility. I blinked at her, confused, before I realized that she was actually looking at something _behind _me.

"What? What's the matter?" I asked, and tried to swivel around to see what the problem was. Emmett's arm merely tightened, preventing me from being able to see anywhere but straight ahead.

"Hey, what the hell-"

"Let's head back to the house and check on Nessie and Jake, huh?" he interrupted me as he started to propel me forward.

"Not until you let go of me!" I protested hotly.

Rose exchanged a quick look with Emmett before taking my arm. "Trust me, Lee, you want to get out of here."

That threw me. I opened my mouth to ask yet again what was wrong when an altogether too familiar voice spoke up behind me.

"Hello, Leah."

Lord, I'd know that deep, gravelly tone anywhere. Mouth dry, I turned slowly around as Emmett loosened his arm but kept it flung over my shoulder in a protective big-brother fashion.

"Sam," I managed to get out after staring a moment at his face. "What are you doing here?"

He rubbed his hand over his short-cropped hair. "I know I wasn't exactly invited, but... I just wanted to show my support- my Pack's support- for Sue and Charlie."

"Really," I replied skeptically, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"I know it may not seem like it, but most of us don't really agree with everything the elders are doing. They just don't understand that we're not... enemies anymore."

Rosalie gave a tiny, delicate snort that shouted her disdain for him and his little speech. Sam ignored her and looked directly at me with clear, honest eyes.

"I'm happy for your mom, Leah. Charlie's a good man, and Sue deserves some joy. I just wanted you- your Pack- to know that."

I looked at him, assessing his truthfulness, and his eyes never wavered from mine. This was a tiny bit of the Sam I used to know, the Sam who could look me in the face. I hadn't seen that Sam since he first began phasing.

"Thanks," I finally replied quietly. "That's really- it means a lot."

He smiled then, relieved, and the music changed to a slow one. He cocked an eyebrow and held a hand out to me.

"So... wanna dance? For old times' sake?"

Insensitive bastard. I had a moment's urge to slap that friendly smile right off his face, but I managed to reign it in. Did he not realize the fact that he'd ripped my heart out and stomped on it- with a girl I'd once called my sister? And now he wanted me to dance. 'For old times' sake'.

"Sure. Why not?" I heard myself saying, and wondered just when I'd morphed into a masochist.

Stepping out from under Emmett's arm, I let Sam lead me the few steps to the dance floor. His large hands were very light on my lower back as we swayed slowly about an arms length apart. It was so very different from the last time I'd danced with him, bodies pressed so close together you couldn't get a paper between us, that I had to swallow a bitter laugh. Odd how two people who had once been so perfectly in tune could become.... strangers.

I caught Rosalie and Emmett's watchful, wary eyes over Sam's shoulder and gave them a tiny, reassuring wave with my fingers. Rose merely crossed her arms tightly over her chest and glared darkly at the back of Sam's head.

"You really do like the Cullens, don't you," Sam suddenly said, breaking our stilted silence. I frowned.

"Yeah. I told you that before. They're family."

We'd rotated so that I could see the rest of the Cullens. Behind their carefully neutral faces, I could see their concern as they discreetly watched Sam and I circle the dance floor. As much as I hated that they knew what being around Sam could do to me, I couldn't help but feel a tiny, warm glow in the center of my chest from their reactions. Edward caught my eye, and I thought a loud and firm 'I can handle this'.

And I _was_ handling it. Instead of the ripping pain and bitter resentment I'd expected, I only felt... sad. Sad for what could have been, sad for our lost closeness, and sad for the future I'd once planned out for us. But, strangely, it didn't _hurt_, at least, not in the stabbing, incapacitating way I'd become so accustomed to in the last few years. I caught Jasper's eye, suspicious that this new miracle was merely due to his Mojo skills, but he spread his hands and shook his head minutely.

"So, you're.... happy?" Sam spoke up, once again breaking the silence between us.

I looked at him, _really_ looked at him, for the first time since he'd walked out of my life. And yes, it was hard, and it still hurt in a sad, aching, sort of way, but I didn't feel like I was going to break into pieces. And I didn't feel like my world would end when he walked away. I felt... okay. Like I was finally figuring out that the flickering light at the end of my long, dark, tunnel meant that I was supposed to go _forward_.

"Yeah. I guess I am," I slowly replied. _Or at least I'm getting there-_ I added mentally, and saw Edward grin over the top of Sam's shoulder.

"That's... good. I'm glad. Really."

I silenced the part of me that wanted to point out that it really wasn't any of his business and decided to take it in the spirit it was offered. Besides, I was distracted by the sight of Alice slipping back into the crowd, carrying Embry's camcorder and looking triumphant. Dammit. Now I was going to have to hunt down someone else's video of 'Thriller: Vamp Version'.

My eyes zeroed in on Embry's tall, broad form the moment he re-entered the tent, and I had to grin at the cute, dejected look on his face as he followed Alice to where Rose and Emmett were standing. They pointed in my direction, and I gave Embry a tiny wave as he turned to look at me. I wasn't even sure he saw it, because he was glaring at the back of Sam's head with an intense, black fury. Confused, I stared after him while he turned and stalked through the crowd and out of the tent. Sam said something to me, but it took several seconds before my brain even comprehended that he'd spoken. Blinking, I stepped back and away from his arms.

"Sorry. There's someone I've got to... talk to. You don't mind, right?" I asked him distractedly, craning my neck to see which direction Embry had left in. Sam frowned slightly as he looked over his shoulder in an attempt to figure out who I was talking about before he turned back to me with a confused smile.

"Sure, no problem. It was really good talking to you again, Leah," he said earnestly. I was grateful he didn't ask who I was running off to find.

"Yeah. It was..." It was what? Certainly not _fun_. It wasn't really even _nice_, to be completely honest. I licked my lips and tried again. "It was... interesting. And thanks again. For supporting Mom and Charlie."

I barely heard his reply, since I was already weaving my way through the crowd, and it felt _good _to be the one walking away without a backwards glance. Now I just wanted to find Embry and figure out once and for all what the hell was going.

I found him standing on the fishing dock, staring down into the dark water with hunched shoulders and his big hands shoved as deep as they would go into his pockets. The scowl on his face was as dark as the water, and he didn't bother to glance up at me when I'd finally clacked my way to his side in my ridiculous (but oh-so-fabulous) heels.

"What's with you, Tank?" I half-joked as I gave him a smack on the bicep. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to walk on grass in these shoes?"

"What the hell was _Sam_ doing here?"

Okay, not exactly the reply I was expecting. "Uh, well, he said he just wanted to show his support for Mom and Charlie. I thought it was... nice of him."

He snorted. "Nice? Ha. Yeah, right. I bet you a hundred dollars Emily made him do it."

I studied the angry scowl on his face, confused. "Tank, I don't... I don't get it. Why do you hate Sam so much?"

He was silent for a long time- too long- staring out across the dark water. I bit at my bottom lip, worried that I'd inadvertantly stepped over some invisible line and touched on a forbidden subject. I opened my mouth to tell him to forget it, but he started speaking before I could make a sound.

"Remember how you used to make the Pack think about who my dad could be?"

A sick, slightly sour taste welled up from the back of my throat. "Yeah... that was really awful of me. I'm sor-"

"Don't worry about it, that's not what I meant," he interupted quickly, shaking his dark head back and forth with a quick, jerky movement. I frowned at him.

"Oh. Well, then..."

"I was never angry at you for that. I was angry at Sam."

"But what-?" I began, confused, then frowned heavily. "Look, Embry, it wasn't Sam's fault I was such a bitch. He's not responsible for my actions."

"No. But he's responsible for his," Embry replied, a hint of resentment beginning to color his voice. I stared at him, still frowning but completely confused where he was heading with this.

"Leah, Sam knew the whole time who my father was. We've both known since the first day I phased. He ordered me not to say anything. Not to let anyone realize what we knew."

Now I was completely dumbfounded. I had to swallow hard a few times before I could even frame a response. "But... why? Why would he..."

"He had his reasons. Not that he'd really explain them to me," he bit out bitterly. "But orders were orders, and it didn't matter what I thought about it. Hell, I thought someone would figure it out, especially with you bringing it up."

That sick, sour taste was back, one that I was starting to recognize as regret mixed with guilt. "Yeah... I should never have-"

"I was _glad _you made people think about it! I loved it when it was shoved in Sam's face. So don't apologize."

Embry stared out over the black water, and I stared at him. His shoulders were hunched up nearly to his ears, and his hands were shoved as deeply into his pockets as possible. I had a fleeting worry that he'd put his fists right through the seams. Silence stretched between us, and my stomach began to twist anxiously with a dim feeling of foreboding. Like I had already realized the answer to my next question but was still clinging to a tiny shred of hope that I was wrong.

"Tank. You and Sam... you're not- not _brothers_. Are you?"

He didn't answer me. He didn't have to. The way he wouldn't look at me said it all. I felt like throwing up. It seemed so glaringly obvious now; I couldn't fathom how any of us hadn't realized it sooner. There were so many little quirks, similar facial expressions... and Sam's strange over-concern for everything in Embry's life- the way he'd tried to keep Embry away from Jacob after the Packs split, how hard he'd tried to get him to come back to La Push... it all made sense now.

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Tell _me_?" I asked, meaning to sound angry, but my voice came out as a whisper.

Embry shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't. Not at first. And later, out of Sam's Pack, I just didn't think much about it." He sighed heavily. "And then I didn't want to."

I stood there, still staring at him, unable to come up with a way to respond. Tank, my Tank, was Sam's _brother_. And he'd known it the whole time and had never said a word. But did it really matter? It didn't- _couldn't_- change who Embry Call was as a person. Was I really willing to let this ruin one of the best things I'd ever been a part of?

Neither one of us had moved, but it felt like an enormous canyon had opened between us. A big part of me wanted to jump across it, but the rest of me was digging my heels into the ground.

"You should have said something," I finally stated, much more firmly than I'd expected. He winced, and the kamikaze part of me that wanted to jump nearly dragged me over the edge.

"I know. I just... didn't want you to hate me," he admitted, and there was a raw edge to his voice that physically hurt. "Guess I royally screwed _that _up."

Oh, lord. Kamikaze Leah was beginning to win out over Realistic Leah. What difference did it really make now that I knew he and Sam were related? Half the rez was related. I couldn't walk away from him, not after all those months of using him as a life-line to pull myself out of my living hell. I _needed _him. And dammit, a man should _not _be allowed to look so heartbreakingly dejected!_ Especially _not when someone was struggling to figure out if they could hate said man or not. I had to stiffen my resolve when he finally looked up at me with his pained eyes.

"I'm sorry. I should've said something sooner. I just... I guess I was just afraid you'd never want anything to do with me again. That you'd hate me," he said honestly. "Still afraid of that, actually. Not that I could blame you..."

"I don't hate you," I blurted out before Rational Leah could get ahold of my tongue. A little bit of hope sparked in his dark eyes, and Kamikaze Leah cheered.

"You don't? You really mean it?" The dumbfounded relief in his voice was so evident I very nearly smiled at him. What the hell good would walking away from him do me, anyway?

"Embry. You're Sam's brother. Half-brother. What difference does that really make?" I asked him, though the question was partially directed at myself. "So you've got the same Sperm Donor. Who cares? That doesn't change who you are. And _you _are my Tank, right?"

The grin slowly spreading from ear to ear on his face was one of the most beautiful I'd ever seen.

"I'm definitely still mad at you, though," I added quickly, subdueing the mini-temper tantrum Rational Leah was throwing. Embry nodded, managing to look like a lost and beaten little puppy- damn him!- and I heard myself adding a hasty, "but only a little."

The grin crept back. "Totally understandable. Would a lifetime of servitude help?"

"You already did that one," I told him severely, frowning. "No... I think something more immediate would be better."

Now it was his turn to look confused. "Like what?" he asked hesitantly. "You're not going to make me go up on stage and sing or anything, are you?"

I shook my head and grinned. "No, although that would've been good, too. But I was thinking something more like _this_."

I shoved him, hard, catching him completely off-guard. He toppled over the edge of the dock, arms and legs waving wildly, and hit the water with an almighty splash. I doubled over laughing as he came spluttering back to the surface.

"Nice. Very nice. Am I forgiven now?" he managed to ask after he'd spit out a mouthful of pond water.

"Yep. Ah, that was good," I giggled. He waded back to the edge of the dock in the chest-deep water, grinning himself, and made a move as if to pull me down into the pond with him.

"Uh uh, mister. The dress! Respect the dress!" I shrieked and backed up swiftly. Unfortunately for me, he had very, very long arms. One hand snaked around my leg, and all I could do was pray my Christian Louboutin shoes wouldn't fall off as he yanked me over his head and into the water.

"Oooh, are you gonna get it now! Alice is going to _kill _you!" I sputtered the minute my head broke the surface.

"It's not my fault you fell in trying to help me back onto the dock," Embry innocently retorted, grinning boyishly.

"Oh, hell no. Alice is going to rip your head right off and use it for a soccer ball. You ruined my makeover."

He tilted his head, studying me. "Nah. You look good wet."

"Forget Alice. _I'm _going to kill you!" I snorted, and dove at him in an attempt to dunk him under the surface and drown him.

I didn't succeed. In fact, I got the distinct feeling he was pretending to be a whole lot weaker than he was just so I wouldn't be the one under water the whole time. Honestly, I didn't mind. The crazy, childish game of trying to dunk each other erased any last bit of space between us until we were just Tank and B-Wolf again, goofing off.

While I thanked heaven that Alice hadn't picked white for our dress color, I wished she'd picked a more sturdy material than the thin, silky kind. Sure, it looked great when I was dry, but cavorting around in a pond was a totally different matter. It stuck to me like a second layer of skin, and it sure as hell didn't leave much to the imagination. I could feel every rough inch of Embry's suit rubbing against me as we wrestled. And his hands- they might as well have been touching bare skin! They felt so damn good I forgot all about trying to dunk his head under the water.

It seemed like Embry did, too, because his hands came to rest on my hips at the same time as I stopped pushing on his shoulders to twine my arms around him instead. There was no time to think, just a whole lot of rapid-fire instinct and need.

I'd be a big fat liar if I said I'd never imagined how kissing Embry would feel. But I never expected it to actually feel like it did in my idle daydreams, because dreams are always perfect. So just imagine my mind-numbing shock when it dawned on me that kissing him felt exactly as I'd pictured it would.

It was the kind of kiss that makes you forget all about breathing until your survival instincts kick in just before you pass out. The kind that makes rational thought impossible because you're too busy drowning in feeling to form anything coherent. The kind where you forget your own name for a good thirty seconds after you finally stop for air. Yeah. That kind.

This was _so_ not good.


	20. Girl Talk

**Girl Talk**

**AN: **_Hi. I'm back, with a short (for me, at least) filler-chapter. YAY for filler chapters! But, for once, I know what I want to happen next chapter, so maybe I can get it written faster? Maybe? I will TRY. By the end of the month (fingers crossed!)_

_Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes and encouragment! It's meant so much to me! I hope this chapter is enjoyable to you... I tried to make it amusing in parts, at least. And, I did try to respond to everyone who reviewed, but somehow, I got half-way through and didn't finish? I think? I can't remember... that's how bad my brain is! But, if I DIDN'T respond to you, please know that I really did appreciate and love you taking the time to drop me a line. I WILL BE BETTER AT RESPONDING TO REVIEWS THIS TIME. _

_Please forgive any grammatical/spelling errors. I don't do betas, but I do try to proofread. Thanks again and please review!_

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**_I was kissing Embry Call._**

I panicked. Completely panicked. What the _hell _was I doing?! My lord, was I _trying _to screw up everything between us beyond repair? This was all wrong, regardless of how good it felt. And da-_amn_, but it felt good!

I think he sensed my panic, because he let go of me at the exact same moment that I tore my lips off of his and jumped back like he was a red-hot coal. I could feel my entire blood supply draining into my toes- or maybe it was somehow draining into his face. I'd never seen someone turn so red in my entire life! Both of us struggled to catch our breath for several seconds before we started talking at once.

"That wasn't what I-"

"What the hell just-"

We stopped and stared at each other, and I licked my lips nervously.

"Uh... that wasn't supposed to happen," I mumbled. Embry shook his head to get the water out of his eyes- or maybe to clear his head. I wasn't too sure.

"No. I mean, yeah. I mean..." he stopped and looked like he was thinking very hard. I pushed myself another foot away from him in the water and took a deep breath.

"We shouldn't have done that. I- we're just... just friends."

"Uh..." He looked completely dumbfounded, and I stammered on hastily.

"Not that it wasn't good or anything. 'Cause it was. Good."

"Yeah. Really good," he agreed fervently, but strangely absentmindedly.

I chewed on my lip. "But it was a mistake. And we're just gonna pretend like it never happened. Right?"

He shook his head again and focused his deep chocolate eyes on me. I swallowed hard in the silence, hoping and praying that he'd say yes and everything would go back to normal between us. He'd be my safe, strong, friendly, perfect Tank again, and I could still be the B-Wolf. B for Broken. Because that's what I was- a broken, bitter girl who would never fall in love again. _Especially _not with a Wolf. His eyes slid away from mine, and he rubbed a hand over his wet, short-cropped hair.

"Yeah. It was... just the stress. Or something. We'll just forget it ever happened," he agreed softly, and I breathed out a silent sigh of relief.

Struggling my way through the muck attempting to suck my haute couture shoes off my feet, I told myself firmly that forgetting this little episode was _exactly _what I was going to do. I merely had to ignore the fact that I was already physically aching to jump back into his arms and kiss the living hell out of him.

It was totally unfair that Embry didn't seem to be having the same kind of problem. If anything, he acted exactly like he'd always done as he helped pull me out of the muck and drained the water in his shoes over my head, dripping mud on me in the process. It made me want to hug him and kick him in the shins at the same time.

"You do realize that Alice is going to kill me. Really, _really _painfully, too," Embry pouted as he gave him me his best wounded puppy expression. I tried not to look too closely at it, since it would probably make me want to hug him even more.

"For the damage you did to this dress, you deserve it, Tank," I replied matter-of-factly.

"You're not going to help me out at all, are you?" he asked in mock despair. I grinned at him.

"Nope."

We walked to the party tent in silence after that. I felt like a jangling bundle of nerves, even though he didn't seem to feel the same. Plus, I wasn't looking forward to walking back into the crowd dripping wet, with my mud-splattered dress sticking to me like a second skin. Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie were in there, after all. Thank god my La Push fan club wasn't there as well.

Sometimes, I realized, having a mind-reader around wasn't always a bad thing. Standing silhouetted outside the tent was Edward, holding out a suit coat for me- though I could've done without his slightly smug, amused smirk.

"Don't say anything," I hissed as I grabbed the coat from him and shoved my arms through the sleeves. His grin merely grew, and he put up his hands innocently.

"I was only going agree that Alice is definitely going to kill you both."

Embry and I heaved an identical sigh of resignation and headed into the glittering reception with Edward trailing after us. It didn't take long for people to start giving the two of us second glances, and I sent a fervent thank you to Edward for the coat. Tall as I was, it was still long enough to come partway down my thighs and cover my hands. It wasn't, however, long enough to cover all the damage. It took less than a millisecond for Alice to zero in on my destroyed make-over, and the look on her face was honestly terrifying.

"Aaaah, shit..." Embry groaned as she made a beeline through the crowd on the dance floor toward us. I slipped my hand into his and gave it a comforting squeeze, although whether it was more for myself or him, I wasn't sure.

"_There_ you are, Embry. Where did you disappear to?"

Both of us jumped as Embry's mom came up from behind us and tucked her arm into his. Surprisingly, Alice hesitated and stopped in the middle of her rampage towards us when she caught sight of her and abruptly headed off in another direction . I decided right there that I dearly loved Malea Call.

Embry looked less thrilled than I was to see her. "Mom... have you been at the champagne?"

"No! Well, one or two glasses. Can't I have a little fun?"

I giggled, more at the red creeping up Embry's neck than his slightly tipsy mother. She grinned at me and raised her eyebrows.

"Looks like the two of you had a little fun yourselves. Huh? Huh?" She nudged Embry, absolutely beaming, and I became suddenly aware that our hands were still intertwined. I pulled my fingers out of his and tucked them into my coat sleeve self-consciously.

"Mom..." Embry groaned.

"Don't let me interrupt anything," she said, letting go of her son's arm, still grinning like the Cheshire cat at the two of us. "Oooh, this is a great song! Why don't you two go have a dance."

"Uh, no... that's, I mean-"

She gave both of us a little shove towards the dance floor, laughing. "Go on, go on. Make your mother happy."

Well, how can anyone argue with something like that? Embry's face was puckered up into the perfect picture of utter and complete embarrassment, but he still went with me to the dance floor. We bumbled awkwardly for a moment to get our hands in the right positions before we settled into a semi-comfortable rhythm. Neither one of us said a word as we slowly swayed to the music, and I found myself having a hard time concentrating on anything but the feel of the heat radiating off of his body into mine through the scant inches separating us. I couldn't stop remembering how it had felt to be pressed up against him, kissing him... In desperation, I focused on the song we were dancing to.

_I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue  
I'd go crawling down the avenue  
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do  
To make you feel my love..._

"Wait... is this _Garth Brooks?_" I suddenly demanded, breaking the tense silence. Embry's blush was so extreme it looked physically painful.

"Yeah... God, I'm sorry about this," he replied, scrunching up his face in a 'somebody _please _shoot me' kind of way.

"Hey, you're not the DJ- no need to apologize."

"No- for my mom, not for the song," he paused and grimaced. "Okay, maybe for the song, too. I wouldn't have picked this one to ask you to dance."

"Aw, it's not that bad," I giggled, and he raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me. "Okay, then, what song _would _you have asked me to dance to?" I demanded.

The blush that had been slowly draining out of his cheeks came back full force. "Um..."

Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to find out what he was going to say, because I suddenly found myself staring at a seriously pissed off Alice standing directly behind his shoulder. Embry caught the terrified expression fleeting across my face and froze in place.

"Alice is right behind me, isn't she?" he asked in a voice that managed to convey amusement and fear at the same time. I swallowed hard and nodded, my eyes still glued to the the frightening scowl on Alice's pixie face.

"Yes, I'm right behind you, Embry Call," she said in a low, deceptively sweet tone. "And the two of you are so very, _very _dead."

She grabbed our arms and all but dragged us over to a dark corner of the party tent. Once there, she planted her fists on her hips and glared at us until we both started to squirm guiltily.

"So... care to explain exactly how _this_ happened?" she hissed, waving a hand accusingly towards me. I gulped and pointed surreptitiously at Embry.

He swatted my hand down and gave me a mock-glare. "Hey! It wasn't my fault!"

"You pulled me in!"

"You started it!"

"Forget it. I don't care how it happened," Alice broke in loudly. She pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand, looking like she was fighting a massive headache. "Good god, you two are worse than toddlers. I let you out of my sight for _ten minutes_, and you manage to destroy three hours of work, not to mention a $5,000 outfit!"

Embry's jaw fell open. "Five _thousand_-? What the hell? Is it coated in diamond dust or something?"

"You do realize how much trouble you're in, right? Shut it," Alice commanded, shooting him a venomous glare. He snapped his mouth shut and gulped audibly.

"My god, Alice. You can be so overly dramatic sometimes," Rosalie sighed, doing that freaky vampire thing of popping up out of nowhere. Alice turned to glare at her instead of us.

"Overly dramatic? _Look _at them. Just how the hell am I supposed to fix that?"

Rose glanced at Embry and I, dripping muddy pond water from our haute couture, and pressed her twitching lips together to keep from grinning. "Easy. Sue and Charlie are leaving, so Leah and I can just head back to the house. Then Embry here can just focus on getting his mom home safely."

All of us looked out to the dance floor where Malea Call had dragged Billy, wheelchair and all, and was trying to get him to dance the 'Macarena' with her. Embry looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole, and I stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, okay," he muttered, embarrassed. "But what about-"

"Oh, didn't Leah tell you about our girl's night?" Rose interrupted him airily. Alice, Embry, and I stared at her in blank confusion.

"Girl's night?"

"Yeah. You know- giggling, gossiping, girly stuff. Right, Leah?" She gave me a significant look, obviously expecting me to agree with her even though I had no idea where this 'girl's night' thing had come from. I blinked and tried to wipe the flustered look off my face.

"Right. Yeah. Girl's night," I agreed quickly. I must have sounded passably convincing, because Rose's grin widened. She hooked her arm through mine and started to pull me away, but I resisted to glance back at Embry.

"So... see you tomorrow?" I asked hesitantly. I hated the slight awkwardness between us- that stupid, but oh so perfect, kiss!- and I didn't want him to think I was running away. Although, I kind of was. I wasn't so sure I could stop myself from kissing him again if I stayed the night at his place, and I just couldn't risk that.

He gave me a little, lopsided grin that made my insides twist up in the strangest, most delicious way. "Yeah. I'll... be around."

I couldn't give anything beyond a wave in reply, because Rose was dragging me through the crowd towards the exit. I stumbled to keep up with her, envying her perfect, easy balance in her towering heels as she headed toward her gleaming convertible. Once inside and safely buckled, I turned to look questioningly at her.

"So... what's with the impromptu sleep over?"

"It's not a sleep over," she replied. "After all, you're the only one who can do any sleeping."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, then. Girl's night."

"You looked like you wanted to escape. And not just from Alice," Rose explained, then quirked an eyebrow at me. "So... wanna tell me why?"

"Escape? I- I didn't want to escape. I... I just, um," I trailed off, searching vainly for a plausible answer.

Rose gave me a silent, skeptical look for several long seconds. "Uh huh. Would you rather go back there?"

I twisted my hands in my lap and tried very hard not to remember how Embry's hot, rippling muscles had felt. It didn't work. _At all. _And there wasn't much in the entire universe that could take my mind off that one very wrong- but _very _perfect- kiss, either. So... maybe telling someone about it, specifically a female somebody, might help me figure out just what the hell had happened. I mean, that's what girls have been doing since the dawn of time, right?

"No... No, a girl's night would be good," I finally replied to a surprisingly patient Rose. "As long as you're not going to make me watch 'Titanic' or some other sappy chick-flick."

"'Titanic'? God, no!" she exclaimed, shuddering. "I might pull out 'Pretty in Pink' later, though."

"If you do, I'll be forced to smother myself to death with one of your pillows."

Rose flashed me a wicked grin as she parked the gleaming car smoothly in the garage. The two of us wasted no time hopping out and heading inside, Rose anxious to check on Nessie, and me anxious to rinse the grimy pond water off of my skin. We followed the sound of Jake's snoring, which was nearly loud enough to make the walls vibrate, into the living room to find him sprawled out unceremoniously on the floor. Nessie was completely conked out on the couch above him, but the tender way her blankets were tucked around her were at least evidence that Jake hadn't fallen asleep before she had.

Silently, Rose stole swiftly to the sleeping child, tucked a stray curl behind one small ear, and planted a quick kiss on her temple. Though she made no sound, Jake woke suddenly, sitting bolt upright as his eyes immediately sought out Nessie and whatever had disturbed them.

"Oh. Hey, Blondie," he muttered groggily, sinking back down to the ground. "Party over already?"

"Not likely, Mutt. Alice planned it, remember?" Rose retorted with one of her insanely feminine snorts. "Leah and I just ducked out early."

He popped an eye open and swiveled his head in my direction, and I gave him a half-hearted wave. Both of his eyes opened wide with amusement, and I scowled at the laughing smirk growing on his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" he chuckled, once more propping himself up on an elbow.

"Oh, you know. Just checking to see if I could walk on water, being as how I'm actually a goddess and all," I snapped back sarcastically, which only made him laugh harder.

Rose gave him a quick smack upside the head and glared at him. "Are you _trying _to wake Nessie up?"

That sobered him up immediately. He took one glance at her peacefully sleeping form and all but shooed us out of the room.

"Like _he _wasn't the one being loud. Honestly," Rose muttered from the depths of her closet once we'd reached her room. I didn't bother to answer her; I was too busy looking around at the moment. Somehow, the large suite she shared with Emmett wasn't quite what I was expecting. Sure, there was an impressive display of gaming systems- everything from an ancient Atari to a Playstation 3- but it was a whole lot less fancy than I'd expected. Understated elegance, I suppose it could be called.

"Will these work?" Rose asked as she emerged from the closet holding up a pair of pink, fuzzy pajama bottoms with the word 'princess' emblazoned across the butt and matching camisole top. When I nodded, she tossed them to me and pointed to the private bathroom adjoining the room. "Towels in the side cupboard."

"I'm not going to find anything kinky in there, am I?" I asked, half-serious, half-joking.

"No. _Wait_... No. You should be fine."

I rolled my eyes, laughing, as I headed into the bathroom. "You're _so _reassuring."

I took my time rinsing the grime out of my hair and skin, seriously grateful that Edward was no where near the house yet. He really didn't need to hear the confused thoughts pouring through my head at the moment, mainly since they all revolved around Embry, his revelation, and The Kiss. Nothing was making an ounce of sense, because my brain was stubbornly insisting that Embry was just a _friend_, and absolutely nothing more. That I didn't and couldn't and shouldn't want anything more than that, because I was permanently broken by Sam, and Embry, no matter how perfect he may be, was still an unimprinted Wolf. End of story.

My body, on the other hand, seemed to have decided that logic and common sense were optional accessories, because _da-amn! _That kiss was amazing. And Embry, lord help me, was more than just plain hot. No, Embry was some kind of god. A tall, muscled, bronze god.

My brain really hated my body at the moment.

"Why do you even have these?" I asked Rose, tugging on the waistband of the pink pajama pants as I finally emerged from the bathroom.

"Because they're comfy," she retorted, grinning. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in green and white polka dot pajama pants with a white tanktop, her hair in a ponytail, and surrounded by mounds of junk food, magazines, and pillows, she looked like the poster-girl for teenage sleepovers.

"You're really getting into this, aren't you?" I giggled as I plopped myself down beside her and reached for a big bag of Twizzlers.

"Yeah, well..." she shrugged and looked a little sheepish. "I haven't done this in almost a century, so..."

Whoa. I chewed silently, mulling that little tidbit over. No sleepovers in almost a century... no real friends outside your own family. Sure, she had Emmett, but still. How lonely.

"I haven't done this in a long time myself," I told her quietly, and it was the truth. Nowhere near a century, or even a decade, but it had been a few years. And relatively speaking for my short life, that was a long time. We sat there silently for a few minutes until an absurd thought randomly struck me.

"What do Vampires consider 'junk food'?"

Rose stared at me, one eyebrow slowly rising, and I gave her a half-apologetic look before turning my attention back to my bag of Twizzlers.

"Squirrels," she suddenly replied, and I looked back at her to catch her grinning. Both of us started laughing, and just like that, we were two girls having a genuine, girly sleepover.

"Did you really believe Sam tonight? That he supports Sue and Charlie?" Rose asked unexpectedly once we'd both calmed down a little. I picked at the fuzz on my pink pants for a few silent moments before answering.

"Yeah, I believe him. He meant what he said. Sam is... well, he's really a good guy, you know. Underneath the crap bits."

Rose snorted incredulously. "I still need a hell of a lot of convincing about that."

"No, really. His whole thing with me... Imprinting does things to you. To your brain, the entire way you see the world," I stopped and shuddered a little. "Trust me, I've seen inside their heads, the guys who've imprinted. And in a way, it's great, because it's perfect and pure and all that crap. But _still_, it sucks how the rest of the world becomes so... unimportant."

"That doesn't sound so far off from just plain falling in love," Rose mused quietly.

I shrugged. "Maybe not, if it's real love. I know _I've _never felt the way they feel about their imprints, though. Not even for Sam."

"Maybe you've never really been in love."

I was silent a long time, those words sinking deeply into my heart. What if Rose was right? What if, despite how much I thought I'd loved Sam, it hadn't really been the deep and true kind? It hurt to admit it, even to myself.

"You know... Even if he'd never imprinted, Sam and I would've broken up," I stated dully, then blew out a huge, sad sigh. "I've never admitted that out loud to anyone before. I guess I didn't want people to know things had already fallen apart, before Emily even came into the picture."

"I understand. Doesn't really make it any easier, though, huh?" Rose asked sympathetically.

I sniffed and bit my lip. "Not at all. Because I _did _love him, even if it wasn't enough. Maybe I still do, I don't even know anymore. And it hurts like hell to see Emily getting the life I'd planned out for us- for _me._"

"Yeah...life's not fair," Rose agreed, and sighed. "No one knows that better than us, huh? I used to hate Bella for the same reason."

"But not anymore?"

"No, not really. Sometimes it still hurts, though. I'm working on it."

I gave her a small, half-hearted grin. "Yeah. Me, too."

Suddenly, her face morphed into an impish grin. "Mm hm. With Embry, right?"

"What? No! No no no no! We're just friends!" I squeaked, a guilty, embarrassed blush spreading a scarlet stain across my cheekbones.

"Uh huh. Then how do you explain the pond bit?"

Oh, god! She _knew_ about that? I _hated _Edward and his big, fat, mind-reading mouth! This wasn't exactly how I planned on bringing the subject up.

"That- it just _happened_! It didn't mean anything!" I burst out, my face painfully scarlet. Rose stared at me, a completely blank, surprised look on her face. I stared back at her, slowly coming to the mortifying conclusion that she hadn't actually known about The Kiss. Dammit.

"Uh... _what _just happened?" Rose finally asked, breaking the long silence. Her eyes started twinkling like a mall rat with a brand new credit card, and I swallowed hard.

"I- I... um, nothing?"

"Ooooh, no, girl. You can't just say _'nothing' _and expect me to believe you! Spill!"

I grabbed a random bag of chips and ripped it open in a pathetic attempt at distraction before I remembered that I was seated next to a Vampire. Rose's tawny eyes were pinned on me with rabid curiousity, and I found myself wishing, for the first and probably the only time in my life, for a handy squirrel.

"It _was _nothing!" I burst out after squirming uncomfortably for several more seconds. "We just, you know... fell into the pond."

Rose raised an impatient eyebrow. "Yeah, I know. And then?"

"And then... then we just... wrestled a little. Trying to dunk each other."

"Uh _huh_. And _then _what happened?"

"And then..." I paused, totally mortified. "Then we, you know... we just... kissed?"

"_You just WHAT?" _

I flapped my hands, shushing her frantically. "Geez, Rose! I don't need Jacob hearing this!"

"Sorry," she replied quickly, not looking sorry in the least, and dropped her voice down to an exaggerated whisper. "_You just WHAT?"_

"I _told _you. It was nothing! It was just a thing... that happened. For no reason. I mean, one minute we're trying to dunk each other and then the next, we're, you know..."

Rose nodded understandingly. "Licking tonsils? God, no wonder you two looked so awkward!"

"We weren't awkward! There was nothing to be awkward about. It was just a _kiss_!" I vehemently insisted, then shrunk under her amused grin. "Okay, so there might have been a _little _awkwardness. But just a tiny little bit... Was it that obvious?"

"As a Vamp in sunlight, babe."

"Oh," I sighed, disgruntled. "Well... shit."

I flopped onto my back, chips forgotten somewhere by my side. Great. Just great. Who else had noticed if we were so obvious, then? Edward most likely knew far too many intimate details as it was- stupid, stinking mind-reader- and that meant Bella would know before the end of the party. Carlisle noticed _everything, _and if he didn't see it, Esme surely would have, Mother Hen that she was. Thank god Seth and Quil were too busy stuffing their faces at the buffet table, and Alice was too hell bent on killing us to see anything but the muddy pond water dripping out of my hair, but I was willing to bet my next meal Jasper was more than aware something was up. Emmett wasn't the most observant of people, except when it came to anything embarrassing, or anything that had the potential for him to _make _embarrassing, so it was safe to bet he'd noticed something. He'd probably managed to weasel the whole, stupid Kiss thing out of Embry within five minutes of Rose's convertible pealing out of the parking lot, too. On the off chance that he hadn't, _somebody _was bound to fill him in before the night was over. I was fairly sure I could count on Rose to keep it a secret, but Bella? Fat chance. Everybody in the Cullen household, including Jake, would find out about it as soon as she accidentally blurted it out. Oh, lord. I could only _imagine _the teasing from the rest of my Pack, not to mention most of the Cullens. Damn Embry and his irresistable lips to the seven levels of hell and back! I was too busy wallowing in my self-misery to notice the pronounced twinkle in Rose's eyes.

"So. Was it good?"

"Mm, baby. On a zero to ten scale, ten to the tenth power! I'm telling you, it was _amaz_..." Oh, _shit monkeys. _Caught again! I trailed off, blazing scarlet, and glared at Rose's innocent face.

"What? A kiss between friends can be good," she said, grinning. "Just because it 'meant nothing'-" she made quotation marks with her fingers and rolled her eyes- "doesn't take away from a guy's tongue skills."

I pouted. "That's true, I guess. But, honestly, he could stand to have something detract a little bit from his 'skills', because _damn_. It's not fair for someone to be that incredible. How the hell did he get that good, anyway?"

"A lot of practice with his pillow?" Rose suggested with a laugh.

"Naw, he mostly just drools on it when he's sleeping," I replied absently, still pondering exactly how Embry had acquired his kissing talents, since I knew he'd only had about 2 girlfriends in his entire life. I was so absorbed that it took me a while to register the eagerly suspicious look Rose had pinned on me. It took me even longer to realize why.

"Uh, not that I would know that personally. Like from personal experience. From seeing him sleep. In a bed," I stuttered out frantically, digging myself deeper and deeper into unsafe share zone. "Because I wouldn't know that. From sleeping with him. Not _with _him. Just with him. Like friends."

"You've been _sleeping _with Embry?" Rose shrieked. I tackled her and pressed a pillow into her face.

"Shut _up_! Oh my god!" I hissed at her, practically hysterical. "I do _not _need Jacob thinking I'm having sex with Embry! Because I'm not! We're not! It's just sleep! Snoring, drooling, cover-stealing sleeping!"

Rose was laughing so hard, if she needed air, she would've been passed out and blue. I kept the pillow over her face until I was sure she was in control enough not to shriek out some other embarrassing sounding thing within earshot of my oh-so-mighty Alpha.

"You know, if I were human, you would've killed me," Rose giggled when I finally let her up. I scowled and chucked the pillow at her.

"Yeah, well, then I wouldn't have to worry about you screaming random things anymore."

"You tell me that you've been sleeping with Embry and you expect me not to scream?"

I smacked her with the pillow again. "What's the big deal? It's just totally platonic, boring, sleep!"

"Mm hm. In a cosy, single bed, all snuggled up together?" She waggled her eyebrows at me. "And just how long has this 'sleeping' been going on?"

"You know what? I'm done talking about this."

She pouted. "Aw, c'mon! I'll behave, I promise! It's just that it's so hilarious!"

"You're not being very helpful," I grumbled, glaring at her. To her credit, she made an effort to stifle her giggles.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! But Leah, do you honestly believe there's nothing _romantic _going on between the two of you?"

I pursed my lips and blew out a frustrated breath. "There is _nothing going on. _I swear."

"But... the whole kissing thing-?"

"An accident," I stated firmly. "A hormone-driven, spur of the moment accident. I probably would've kissed any guy in that pond tonight."

"Really. Mike Newton included?" Rose asked, and I could hear the skeptical tone in her voice.

"Well... maybe not _any _guy. But, c'mon. I haven't kissed anybody in years. I think it's a perfectly ligitimate reason for one accidental time!"

Rose arched an eyebrow at me. "If you say so..."

"I do," I said quickly. And I did believe it. I mean, a girl can only go so long without some lovin' before snapping once in a while, right? And Embry was definitely snap-worthy, so the whole thing made perfect, innocent sense. Hallelujah, I wasn't going insane!

"Here," Rose interrupted my thoughts by flinging a stack of high fashion magazines at me. "I still need some more ideas on what you like before I leave for Paris this week if you want me to bring you back some goods."

Grinning, although I didn't know whether it was more from the change in topic or the prospect of brand new haute couture in my future, I flipped open the first of the mags and settled in. We'd gotten through half of the stack before Rose had to go open her big mouth again.

"So... are you gonna be able to sleep tonight without your snuggly Embry-Bear, or should I give him a call?"


	21. Crashing

**Crashing**

**AN: **_Well, hm. This is a SHORT chapter. For me, that is. Like, less than half of my usual ones. Not one of my best chapters, either. Sigh. Sorry about that. But at least I'm updating a little sooner than before, eh? Oh, and some of you have expressed interest in chapters in Embry's POV. I think there will be some near the end, if more people are interested in that. I also may do a separate side-story rewrite of some chapters in Embry's POV of this story. If you are interested, let me know. If enough people want it, I'll give it a shot.  
__**THANK YOU to everyone who's read this story and favorited/alerted. An even BIGGER THANK YOU to everyone who's taken the time to REVIEW. **__You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing that for me. It really helps me out. PLEASE keep it up- and don't be shy telling me what you liked or DIDN'T like! It truly helps me out more than you know.  
SM owns the Twilight 'verse and yadda, yadda._

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My cell phone beeped from the pocket of my work vest, alerting me to a new text message. I glanced around quickly to make sure Mike Newton wasn't watching before shifting the stack of heavy boxes I was carrying into one hand and fishing my phone out with the other. Rose had been sending me texts all day, annoyed that I was at work instead of helping her pack and write lists for things to buy in Paris.

This time, she'd sent me a picture of a very frilly, very sexy piece of pink lingerie, with the caption, '_I showed this 2 Embry n asked if he wanted me 2 find something lyk this 4 u'. _

Bloody hell. Face flaming, I sent back a quick '_u did not!'_, and shoved my phone back into my vest pocket. Just because I hadn't been able to sleep the night I'd stayed over at the Cullens did _not _mean I couldn't sleep without Embry around. And just because he and I accidentally fell asleep together- _next to each other_- on the couch the next day didn't mean anything, either.

My phone beeped again, and I took my time arranging the boxes on their shelves before I looked at the new message.

_"I did 2. N he almost fainted. I think he lyks it!"_

Dear god in heaven. She was never going to stop teasing me about him, was she? Nothing I said could convince her that we were just _friends_ and nothing more! If she didn't have such an awesome shoe collection that she'd given me borrowing privileges to, I might actually get ticked off at her.

"_I can post ur Thriller vamp dance 2 utube." _I texted back, smirking. It didn't take long for my phone to beep again.

"_Shutting up. Get here soon?"_

I grinned victoriously, but the sound of Mrs. Newton coming up behind me made me shove my phone into my vest pocket guiltily before she could catch me texting instead of stocking the shelves. She reached me, and I turned around to give her a friendly smile.

"Hey, Leah. The store's really dead today, so if you wanted to leave early...?" She looked hopefully at me, and I knew she'd much rather have me leave than cut Mike's hours. My smile widened into a genuine grin at the thought of getting out early.

"That'd be great, Mrs. Newton! Rosalie and Emmett are leaving early tomorrow morning, so it would be nice to be able to spend the rest of the day with them," I replied swiftly. Mrs. Newton thanked me, looking relieved, before she disappeared back into her office. I practically ran to punch out and ripped my ugly orange work vest off as I skipped out the door, vague plans of raiding Rose's closet and then maybe seeing how many times I could lap Embry in Wolf form around the perimeter forming in my head. I had just reached my Molly when I heard Mike calling out to me. Groaning, I turned around to find out what he wanted.

"Hey, glad I caught you," he panted when he caught up with me.

"What's up? Need me to switch some hours or something?" I questioned, hoping he didn't want me to work an early shift. I'd started to love sleeping in lately.

"No, no. I was just wondering... if you're not doing anything this weekend..."

He shifted nervously as he trailed off, and I eyed him curiously. "Are you and your friends getting together again at the beach?"

"Uh, no. I was wondering, if you weren't busy, if you wanted to go see a movie? With me, I mean," he clarified, looking more nervous than ever.

I stared at him, slowly processing. Oh. Dear. Lord. The blond puppy was asking me on a date? _This _wasn't at all awkward. My first inclination was to laugh in his face, but that wasn't very helpful _or _nice. And although I wouldn't in a hundred lifetimes consider going on a date with him, Mike was a nice kid. On top of that, he was also my boss's son.

"Oh," I finally answered lamely, still trying to figure out what to say. Bitter harpy Leah wasn't good at letting people down easily. "That's really, um, nice of you, Mike. But... I'm not- that is, I don't-"

"It's okay. I get it," he interrupted me suddenly. I stopped in mid-sentence, looking at him cautiously, but he didn't look angry. Disappointed, sure, but he didn't seem too surprised.

"I'm sorry," I told him, and I meant it.

He shrugged. "Naw, I kinda figured you wouldn't, but it was worth a shot."

"Thanks, though. Really."

"Yeah, sure," he replied, and I was relieved to see him grin a little. "It's that other guy, right? That friend of yours?"

My eyes went huge, and I could just feel the blush creeping up my cheeks. "I- what? What friend?"

"The big guy. What's his name? Call?" The blush on my face must've given me away, because he nodded a little bit. "Yeah, I saw the way you looked at each other."

"Wha... what way? How did we look at each other?" I managed to stutter out with a fake nonchalant laugh after swallowing a few times.

"Like you're looking at your first sunrise."

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "My first... sunrise?"

"Yeah, I know. It sounds stupid," he shrugged with a grimace. "Best way I can describe it, though. You two... you look good together."

I couldn't even answer him. I was freaking out too much internally to be able to do more than gape at him. First Rose, and now Mike. What the hell was wrong with the world? Why was everyone suddenly trying to hook Embry and I up? I had sworn off romance, and looking at someone like they were a sunrise- seriously, where the hell had _that _come from?- and everything to do with love in general!

"Well, uh, I better get back to work, so... see you later?" Mike asked after an awkward minute or two had passed.

I blinked, swallowed, and forced myself back to reality. "Yeah. I'll... see you around."

He gave me another half-hearted grin, and disappeared into the store before I could get my brain functioning well enough to get my body inside my car. I didn't get farther than getting the key in the ignition before I dropped my head against the steering wheel with a loud groan.

What the hell was happening to my nice, safe, predictable world? Everything seemed to be going haywire lately, and it was all Embry's fault! Why did he have to be so damn _perfect_? He was exactly the kind of guy I could fall head over heels in love with, except for the one itsy-bitsy, minor problem of him being a Wolf. There was no _way _I was going to make that mistake again!

I banged my head against the steering wheel a few more times, which made me feel marginally better, then yanked Molly into gear and peeled out of the parking lot. A big part of me wanted to head home to the rez and hide out in my room, but that would just mean Embry would eventually show up and demand to know what was wrong. That, and Rose would probably kill me for skipping out on her the night before she and Emmett left for Paris. No, the best plan was definitely to head to the Cullens, and do my best to hide up in Rose's room pretending Mike had never said a word.

Once through the main part of town, I stomped on the gas and sped down the winding road towards the Cullen house as fast as I could. My new step-father would have a heart attack if he only knew how little attention I payed to the speed limits anymore. Hell, I was hardly paying attention to the road at all today. Mostly, I was just thinking about what Mike had said about Embry, me, and sunrises, and just what on god's green earth I was supposed to do about it.

I rounded a corner, and abruptly, a huge log loomed up in front of my speeding car, completely blocking the road. Reacting on instinct, I slammed both feet onto the brake pedal and swerved, hard. Everything happened so quickly, even my heightened senses couldn't keep up. My Molly spun, slammed into something, and suddenly rolled over and over. The windshield and the windows shattered, broken glass flying everywhere, and I could tell the sticky, hot liquid blinding me was my own blood. I wasn't even sure how the car had come to a stop; I only knew my left arm and side were almost numb with pain, and I couldn't move. I could hardly _breathe. _My lungs screamed at me when I coughed a little, and there was _so much blood!_

Dazed, I vaguely heard a metallic, ripping sound, but the ringing in my head made it impossible to focus on anything. I struggled to take another breath, and was suddenly hit by a wave of an icy, ancient stench.

Oh, god. _Cyrus._

I was mangled and bloody, and I was pinned to my seat, but sheer terror forced me to _move._ Broken bones grated harshly against themselves as I pushed with every ounce of my strength against the steering wheel and dash that kept me prisoner. Black spots danced in front of my eyes, but I kept pushing. My only hope was to give myself enough room to shift.

One lean, frigid hand fisted tightly into my short hair, and another grabbed hold of the back of my shirt. I shrieked in pain as I was roughly torn out of my destroyed car, skin and clothes ripped open by the jagged metal haphazardly, and then slammed hard into the rough bark of an overgrown pine. I landed in a broken pile on the ground, fighting to stay conscious as the waves of pain tried to drag me under. Cyrus stood on top of the wreck of my Molly, looking down at me with a frighteningly impassive face. His scarlet-rimmed eyes were the only things that gave away his cold and calculated excitement.

That was enough for me. Half-dead and paralyzed by terror or not, I wasn't going down so easy. Summoning every ounce of will-power I ever possessed, I concentrated. My bones shifted, moved, and realigned, broken or not, and I screamed once again in pain. Only this time, my scream became an ear-shattering howl half-way through as I burst out of my skin.

Cyrus was on me in a moment, his hands crushing my throat to stifle my howl. His breath hissed out through his teeth, and his impassive mask cracked into anger. In desperation, I swiped at him with my only good paw, and he snarled when my claws caught his shoulder and tore his stone skin. He retaliated by squeezing my throat until I choked.

_"LEAH!"_

Embry's horrified voice ripped across my consciousness, and I would've sobbed in relief if I had any breath left. Jacob and Seth joined him almost instantly, and for once, I was eternally grateful for our connected Pack-minds. I couldn't concentrate hard enough to actually answer them, but they didn't need me to. My pain, my terror, was theirs. Dimly, I heard their howls as they raced through the woods toward me.

_"We're coming, Leah! FIGHT him!" _Jacob demanded harshly. His Alpha command was so strong, it raised a strength in me my mangled body didn't realize it had left. I swiped at Cyrus again, and this time managed to catch the left side of his face. My claws dug in and ripped before he flung me roughly away. Jagged claw marks, so very similar to the scars Emily bore, marred his granite skin, and he snarled at me with terrifying anger. I tensed and tried to prepare myself for his next deadly attack.

It didn't come. He glared at me, but he had heard the howls of my Pack getting closer to us every second.

"Next time, you won't be so lucky," he hissed darkly at me, and then he was gone, disappearing into the trees like a specter from a nightmare.

I couldn't hold out anymore. The waves of pain crashed over me, and my consciousness drifted away out of reach. And all I could focus on before I was dragged under was Embry's voice in my head, frantically calling my name.

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**AN redux: **_Okay, so I know I'm not very good at the drama stuff. I'm much more comfortable writing the cutesy fluff. We'll be getting back to cutesy fluff, I promise. Please let me know what you thought of my attempt at drama and what I can do to improve. Thanks so much!_


	22. Hurting

**Hurting**

**AN: **_Thanks so much everyone, for not hating my attempt at drama! It won't be the last in this story... unfortunately! But there's got to be some of that stuff, eh? Here is another short chapter, and just so you all know, I really don't like it. It just... didn't work for me. Maybe next chapter will be better?  
__**THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY REVIEWERS! **__I know I didn't respond to you personally this time. I'm very sorry. I was intent on writing and re-writing this... and decided to post it as-is before I had a chance to reply to everyone. Sorry, but I WILL reply this time, so please let me know what you think! It means so very much to me. __**THANKS AGAIN!**_

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I was being dragged back into consciousness, and holy hannah, did I want to fight it. Unfortunately for me, there really was no fighting the overpowering, single-minded Alpha command to _move_, to hunt down and destroy a bloodsucking enemy of the Pack. All I could see in my mind were blurs of green and brown, because _shit_, everyone was running except for me, the bloody _Beta_, but oh, dear god did it hurt! I tried, with an inhuman effort, to heave myself to my feet, but my bones wouldn't cooperate. Why the hell did everything hurt so much? Still, the Command was there, and I tried to drag myself forward in answer.

A keening, wolfish whine twisted it's way through the confused, pained fog in my head as something bumped into me gently. I tried to turn my head to see what it was, but sharp pains shooting down my spine stopped me. What the hell was wrong with me? What was going on?

"_You're okay, B. You're gonna be okay. Just don't move. C'mon, baby. Leah, talk to me."_

Embry's voice. That was Embry's voice. It was Embry's furry, enormous head bumping into me, Embry making that awful, painful whining sound. He pawed at me gently, in a desperate sort of way, his thoughts piercing through the chaotic jumble that was the Pack mind.

Oh, god. Everything came back in a flash of horror. Molly spinning out of control, the pain, _Cyrus_. Embry whined again, his voice in my head telling me over and over again to talk to him, tell him I was okay, and I tried to form a coherent thought to answer him.

"_Tank. Shut up." _

He huffed out a short, barky laugh, relief flooding through him and spreading through the Pack. I felt Seth, and Jacob, and even Quil suddenly realizing that I was back among the living when Embry's relief penetrated their intent focus on the hunt.

"_Leah, Leah, thank god, Leah! You're okay!" _Seth sounded half-hysterical with relief himself, but I doubted any of the guys would give him any shit about it, since it seemed like they all felt almost the same.

I grimaced, and Embry butted his nose into me again as I whimpered. "_NOT okay. Dammit! This HURTS."_

_ "We'll find the leech, Leah. We'll fucking rip him apart," _Jake snarled, and I believed him. I had never, not once, felt anything like the fury rolling off of him at that moment.

_"I wanna help," _I shot back, and tried once more, unsuccessfully, to climb to my feet. I _wasn't _weak, dammit! I was the bloody Beta, and I wasn't going to let a few injuries keep me down, not when there was Cyrus-ripping to be done.

Broken bones grated harshly against themselves, and I fell back down, nauseous and whimpering from the pain. Embry was there in my face again, making that awful keening sound like a wounded puppy, as all of my Pack mates yelled at me to stop being an idiot.

"_Geez, Leah! Are you trying to make yourself worse?" _Jake demanded harshly_. "Both Packs are hunting, and the Vamps. Cyrus isn't getting out of here alive."_

I wasn't paying much attention to him anymore, though. I was trying not to pass out again. My body was doing it's best to start the healing process, but it was trying to heal things in all the wrong places, and it _hurt_. Worst of all, it hurt to breath. It felt like I was drowning; I coughed weakly and choked up great gobs of blood.

_"Oh, shit. That doesn't look good. C'mon, stay with me, B," _Embry pleaded as I coughed again.

_"So hard to breath," _I thought to him, struggling to get enough air between bouts of coughing. He whined again, and his brown eyes looked terrified.

"_I know, baby, I know. Hang in there."_

Hang in there until what? I drowned? I could hear Seth freaking out, and Jacob commanding him to _focus_, dammit! They'd lost Cyrus' scent in the river, but I couldn't really care about that at the moment. I was too busy watching the black spots dancing across my vision every time I coughed.

Embry growled low in his throat, but it was Rose's voice that answered him. "Calm down, Embry. It's just me- let me help her."

He hesitated, but backed off just enough to let her come up and kneel at my side, Alice close behind her. She covered me carefully with a blanket, and I could feel her hands shaking.

"Leah, you've got to try to shift back," she was saying to me, and there was a scared, panicky edge to her voice. "We've got to get you back to the house so Carlisle can help you."

Shift? She had got to be kidding me! Did she have any idea how horrible that was with one broken bone, let alone multiple ones? I wasn't shifting, no way in hell! I'd rather just pass out and die here on the forest floor, thank you very much. Embry huffed in my ear again and pawed me, but it felt like I was swimming through pea soup to try to hear the Pack mind.

"_For shit's sake, Leah! You've gotta try!" _Jacob's frustrated thoughts growled at me. "_I know it's gonna hurt like the bitch, but you don't have a choice, here!"_

Ha. So says the mighty Alpha. Forget the pain; I didn't have the strength left to pull myself back into my human skin. Or didn't he realize the fact that I was drowning? I could just barely hear Seth, telling me that I was strong, stronger than anyone, and I _could _shift, and Quil panicking because he couldn't find Cyrus' scent anywhere. I closed my eyes and coughed some more.

"Embry, she's got to shift back, you've got to get her to shift back," I heard Rose saying urgently, then a warm, wet nose pressed into the side of my muzzle.

_"B, you can do this," _he told me, and his voice was stronger and clearer than the others. "_Please. Shift. For me."_

Aw, dammit. This was going to hurt so bad... I forced myself to concentrate, to grab the strings of my humanity and pull with every ounce of strength I had left. Popping and grinding, my bones moved and shrank as my muscles and skin contracted. White hot, searing pain blinded me, and I couldn't for anything get enough air into my lungs. Abruptly, I was laying on the forest floor in my human skin, covered in a blanket and my own half-dried, sticky blood. I felt fur and a wet nose rub against my cheek, and Embry huffed as if to tell me, 'I'm here, I'm not going anywhere'.

I reached up my only good hand to the side of his face to tell him that I was okay, and then I let the merciful blackness drag me back under.

I was only vaguely aware of cold hands lifting me away from something warm, and I managed to open my eyes long enough to see that I was on the Cullen's front porch. I could hear voices, Esme, Rose, and Alice all talking so quietly and quickly I couldn't make out a single word, and a low, anxious, wolfy whine.

_Tank..._

I wanted to reach out and take hold of his fur, but it was far too much of an effort. Besides, I was already being carried into the house, and his huge shoulders wouldn't fit through the front door. I hissed in pain as my broken bones were jarred, despite how carefully I was being carried. Dammit, hadn't anybody in this house ever heard of morphine? I was in some serious need of a shot of it, preferably one big enough to kill an elephant. And what was wrong with the air that made it so painfully thick to breath?

The hands laid me down on an equally cold, hard, plastic-coated mattress, and an oxygen mask was slipped over my face. It didn't help; I kept coughing up frothy blood.

My ears picked up on the faint sound of a car skidding to a halt outside and Esme's relieved voice exclaiming, "Thank the lord, Carlisle's here!".

"She needs painkillers!" I heard Rose call anxiously, and I would've kissed her if I wasn't half-unconscious.

"She needs surgery," Carlisle replied quickly, and another cold pair of hands touched me. "Leah, I'm going to give you something to help the pain and put you to sleep. You're going to be alright, I promise."

"_Whatever you say, doc. Just give me the damn morphine," _I thought, wishing for the first time in my life that Edward was around to read my mind. I felt a needle poke into my skin, smelled something sweet in the small amount of air I was able to pull into my aching lungs, and drifted off into pain-filled dreams.

I dreamed of crunching metal, shattering glass, and eyes the color of blood. I dreamed of cold hands gripping me, too powerful for me to fight, and a smooth voice telling me I could not escape. I dreamed of my father, not the way he looked in life but how he had looked in his casket, and I clung to him and begged him not to leave me again. And then I dreamed of Sam, and watched helplessly as he walked away. Only, it wasn't Sam walking away, it was Embry, and suddenly the pain in my chest was far too much to take.

I gasped and shuddered, then felt two tears- warm, wet, and _real_, slide down the sides of my face onto my ears. The dreams faded away, though the pain remained, and I opened my eyes only to squeeze them shut again quickly from the harsh brightness.

"Leah? Can you hear me?" Carlisle's quiet, reassuring voice came from somewhere near my left ear. I mumbled a sound that approximated a 'yes', but kept my eyes firmly shut against the light. I heard a quick shuffling of movement, and then his voice was back.

"I've dimmed the lights. How are you feeling?"

_Just peachy! I __**love **__pain. How are you? _Again, where was Edward? Devoid of the mind-reader, I managed to mumble "ouch" at him while I cautiously attempted to open my eyes.

"Ouch is right," Carlisle chuckled. "You had more broken bones than I cared to count, not to mention a punctured lung. It was no easy task getting you put back together, young lady."

I tried to pull a face at him, but it turned into a pained grimace. Ugh, there were tubes snaking out of me all over the place! Carlisle saw me eyeing the particularly huge one sticking out of the side of my chest and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, that will be able to come out in a few hours, thanks to your Wolfish healing abilities. Which, I feel compelled to point out, might have saved your life today."

_ Hm, yeah. Except that I was attacked because I'm a Wolf in the first place. Faulty logic there, doc. _

Oblivious to my thoughts, Carlisle busied himself checking all my tubes and bandages and shining a brutally bright flashlight into my eyes. I pouted and grumbled incoherently while he poked and prodded at every sore spot I had on my body. It's a damn good thing he had an unparrallelled bedside manner, because otherwise those frigid hands would've gotten his practice revoked decades ago.

"Good. Your healing is coming along very nicely," he said in a satisfied voice when he'd finally finished torturing me. "Give it a few days and you'll be good as new."

"Days?" I managed to mutter out crossly, and he gave me a very doctorly smile.

"Yes, days. You should be happy about that. A normal human with these injuries would take months to heal, and even longer for physical therapy after that." He ignored my pout and pushed the contents of a large syringe into my IV. "This should help the pain and hopefully put you back to sleep for a few hours. You need to rest to help yourself heal. Next time you wake up, I may let you have a few visitors."

Sleep? I didn't want to sleep anymore- not with the memory of my last few dreams still fresh in my memory. I wanted to know where everyone was and what was happening. Had they found Cyrus? He hadn't hurt anyone else, had he? Where was my Tank? What time was it? And what...

Ohhhh. Whatever drugs Carlisle had put into my IV, they were _good. _My eyes kept drifting shut no matter how hard I tried to fight it, and my tongue had turned into a numb blob in my mouth. Stupid doctors and their cheap tricks. I could vaguely hear Carlisle telling me to relax and sleep, but I wanted to open my eyes and argue. I needed my Tank. Didn't he realize I would sleep better with Embry beside me? He would chase all my bad dreams away.

Unfortunately for me, there was no Edward to read my mind, and I had already slipped away into oblivion. And the nightmares were waiting.

They seemed to go on and on forever. The fear, the pain, all mixed up with the terrifying stare of scarlet-rimmed eyes and icy fingers until I could feel my body shaking even in my sleep with the desire to shift into my grey fur and _run_. But even my body betrayed me; I had no strength left to shift, only enough to rattle my broken bones helplessly.

Suddenly, the cold hands were replaced by large, warm ones. I felt familiar, calloused fingers slip into mine, and I gripped them with everything I had left in me. Hot breath tickled my cheek, and even though I was too drugged to open my eyes, I tipped my head closer.

"I'm here, B," I heard my Tank murmur in my ear. "You're safe. We're all safe. Just go to sleep. I've got you."

My shaking eased off as his strong hand squeezed mine and his even breaths fanned my cheek. I knew he would chase all the nightmares away. Even the pain eased slightly as the heat radiating off of him seeped into me like it always did when he was close to me. I heard his voice singing in a hushed whisper, like a very faint memory, and I couldn't tell if it was real or only in my head.

_Never opened myself this way  
Life is ours, we live it our way  
Oh these word I don't just say...  
And nothing else matters.._

Sleep drifted over me again, a peaceful, dreamless sleep this time, and I welcomed it with open arms.

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**AN: **_"Nothing Else Matters" Metallica. Oh yeah- and see that little review button down there? Click it or Ticket, people! ...god, I'm so lame...._


	23. Recovery

**Recovery**

**AN: **_I hate this chapter. Just a disclaimer... I re-wrote it about 15 times trying to make it more interesting, but it's not happening. Sorry if this is boring to anyone. Just felt like I needed to stick all this stuff in before it goes back to more stuff happening. Fluff and feel-good crap alert! And boringness. Oh well, every chap can't be stellar, can it? Here goes:_

_I don't own anything Twilight. _

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I woke up slowly, aware of aching, stabbing pains mostly in the left side of my body and chest, but even more aware of the warmth covering my right hand. The feeling gradually translated itself into fingers tangled up with my own, and the sawing noise rumbling away by my ear turned into the recognizable sound of loud snores. Cautiously, I opened my eyes and blinked in the dim light before turning my head inch by inch until I could get a look at who was snoring in my ear.

A small grin pulled at the corners of my mouth at the sight of Embry's sleeping face, despite the fact that his mouth was open and he was drooling onto my pillow. He was leaning onto the bed from his chair with my hand in a death grip, and the drugged part of my brain wondered why he hadn't just climbed into bed next to me. It would've been a whole lot more comfortable than the crooked angle he was sleeping in at the moment. I flexed my fingers experimentally under his hand, and his eyes snapped open.

"Hi," I croaked out from a horrifically dry, sore throat, and watched his eyes light up like stars on a clear night.

"Hey, B," he replied in a half-whisper as he sat up half-way and grinned at me. The hand that wasn't entwined with mine ran through my hair and down my cheek, giving me the strangest feeling that I something precious and wonderful. I moved in an attempt to sit up slightly and grimaced at the renewed sharp, aching pains of my healing bones. Embry saw it, and his brown eyes instantly looked worried and concerned.

"Are you hurting? Should I get Carlisle? You need more morphine- I'll go get him."

He started to stand, but I gripped his hand harder, gave a minuscule tug and shook my head. Obediently, he sat back down and leaned over so his face was inches from mine. I could feel his calloused hand cupping my cheek, the thumb gently stroking my skin, and I stared into his eyes sleepily. He put his chin down next to me, and I turned my head towards him so I wouldn't loose sight of his sweet, soft, chocolate eyes.

"You drooled on my pillow," I complained hoarsely with a pout as my cheek touched a damp spot. He chuckled very softly and squeezed my hand.

"It's good to have you back, baby."

I frowned at him, still too drugged and groggy to think much. "Did I go somewhere?"

"Near enough. You scared the shit out of me- er, everyone."

"Oh," I replied, then thought hard. "I wasn't gonna die."

He laughed out loud at that, and suddenly there were four more people in the room with us. And just my luck, Doctor Vamp with the freezing hands was back, and he looked like he was just itching to start poking and prodding me again. Rosalie got to me first, though. She pushed Embry out of the way and grabbed my hand, and I wasn't sure if she was going to kiss me or murder me.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? I thought you were _dead _at first. You can't do things like that to me!" she exclaimed sternly, glaring and grinning at me at the same time.

"Sorry. Next time I'll warn you before I get attacked," I mumbled back with a lopsided smile. She opened her mouth to reply, but a strangled sob interrupted her.

"I'm so sorry, Leah! I should've been paying more attention. I should've been keeping better watch on Cyrus," Alice wailed, half hiding behind Esme. "It's my fault. I wasn't thinking about him much with everything going on, and I just... I just..."

"Alice, nobody's blaming you," Esme murmured. She turned to wrap a comforting arm around the pixie's shoulders, who was as close to crying as a vamp could get. Embry and Rose gave identical sighs, and I got the feeling that this wasn't the first time they'd heard this. I squinted at Alice, but my attempt at a smile turned into a grimace because Carlisle had somehow snuck around the other side of the bed and was poking at the enormous tube sticking out of my chest.

"It's not- _ouch_, dammit!- your fault, Alice," I told her, but she failed to look convinced. I hissed in pain when Carlisle probed a particularly tender spot, and Embry grabbed my hand from Rose. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning to look at her diminutive sister.

"See? I told you nobody blames you but _you, _so stop being a drama queen_. _The only one who gets to cry around here today is Leah," she stated firmly in her typical fashion, but I knew her quirks well enough by now to know that she was genuinely trying to help Alice.

"I'm not gonna cry," I protested as vehemently as my parched throat would let me.

Carlisle gave a low chuckle. "No. You're more likely to cuss someone out than cry. Embry, perhaps you should go let the rest of your Pack know that Leah's awake. I'll allow them a quick visit, provided you feel up to it, Leah."

I gave a small nod, and Embry squeezed my hand as he stood up. I felt something warm press the top of my head, but it was gone so quickly I couldn't register what it was.

"Be right back, B," he told me, and was out of the room before I could figure out if he'd just kissed the top of my head or not. Esme excused herself to get a pitcher of water for me now that Carlisle had given the okay- bless her heart- and Rose took my hand and sat down in the chair Embry had vacated, smiling just a little bit.

"Lee, would you mind if Bella brought Nessie to see you just for a minute or two? She's scared to death that her Aunt Leah is dying."

"Sure, sure... Cripes. A few broken bones and everybody gets dramatic," I mumbled sleepily. Judging by the decreasing pain and increasing numbness in my brain, Carlisle had just drugged me again.

Why, hello, Morphine, my very bestest friend! I've missed you!

"I'll go get them," Alice piped up from the doorway, and I opened my eyes again with an effort.

"Alice-" I croaked, and she turned to look at me. "Don't blame yourself. Okay?"

She nodded once, her face crumpled up like she was trying not to cry again, before she darted through the doorway and was gone. I closed my eyes and drifted off in a drug-induced fog until I felt two little arms hesitantly try to wrap around my neck in a gentle hug.

"Hey, there, Ness," I mumbled, forcing myself to wake up and give her a bit of a smile. She pulled back to look at me with her bottom lip quivering and her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Auntie Leah, are you really going to be okay?"

"Of course I am. Us Wolves are tough, and Clearwaters are even tougher," I replied lightly.

Her bright, intelligent eyes looked me over critically. "That's what Mama said... but you got hurt really badly."

"Naw. It looks worse than it is," I lied and ignored the skeptical look she gave me. "'Sides, your grandpa fixed me up, and he's the best there is, right? So there's nothing to worry about."

For answer, she frowned and pressed her small hand to my cheek to flood my fuzzy, drugged mind with her vivid memories. Suddenly, I was feeling her shock and confusion as Embry suddenly dropped his video game controller to bolt out of the Cullen's front door and phase in mid-jump off the porch, Seth and Jacob following him after a short, stunned second. I winced when the memories abruptly changed to scenes of my battered body being carried into the house, my bloody and twisted limbs wrapped up in an expensive-looking blanket. If her memories hadn't been so full of fear and horror, I would've laughed at the way Embry had tried to squeeze his massive shoulders through the front door in Wolf form, and how Carlisle hadn't even bothered to try to get him to move out of the way. There was something incredibly comical about how the dignified Dr. Cullen had just jumped over him to get to me. Then Nessie switched memories again to show me fleeting glimpses of her family and the Pack waiting anxiously for Carlisle to finish patching me back together, and I no longer had the remotest inkling to laugh. My insides twisted up in a knot as I watched them all in her memories: Emmett hugging Rosalie, Esme with her arms around a lost-looking Seth, Alice twisting her pixie-face up into a knot of concentration as she tried to find Cyrus, Jacob and Quil looking tense, angry, and worried even in their massive Wolf forms, and Embry... poor Embry, running circles around the Cullen property until Nessie had felt dizzy watching him, and then she lingered on her memory of him sitting slouched on their front steps, his face hidden in his hands. Finally, she pulled her hand away to pout at me, and I did my best to give her a one-armed hug and swallow the scratchy lump in my throat.

"Guess I scared you a bit, huh, pretty baby?"

Our conversation was interrupted by what sounded like a large herd of water buffaloes charging towards us, and the half-open door crashed hard against the wall as Seth bounded in, Jacob less than a step behind him. My idiotic, sweet, baby brother almost knocked over Rosalie's chair in his wild rush to my side. It was a good thing Nessie had some super-human reflexes and speed, because she narrowly missed being caught in his over-enthusiastic hug. I wished _I _had been able to move out of the way, when his big arms caught me and almost lifted me clear off the bed.

"_Ow_," I wheezed out emphatically, but he was too busy hugging the stuffing out of me to hear it.

Carlisle tapped him on the arm, his lips pressed together to keep from chuckling. "Seth, I think you might be re-breaking the bones I spent several hours putting back together."

"Oh, crap!" He let me go immediately with a concerned grimace. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I, Leah?"

"I'll live," I told him after catching my breath for a second, then mock-glared at him. "You over-grown puppy."

He gave me his trademark grin, though it was still tinged with worry. "But you're going to be okay, right? You're really going to be fine in a few days?"

"Absolutely," Carlisle answered for me in his most reassuring, doctorly voice. "Provided, of course, that nobody re-breaks anything."

The worry left Seth's face then, and his smile could've blinded me with it's relief. "Thank god. Mom's still gonna flip about this though, Leah."

Oh, _crap! _I'd forgotten all about the fact that Mom and Charlie were on their honeymoon during all of the drama. Stupid drugs! Panicked, I tried to push up into a sitting position, and was immediately restrained by Carlisle and Rosalie's unbelievably strong, cold hands.

"_Seth! _You didn't call Mom about this, did you? She's on her _honeymoon, _for god's sake!"

"Of course I've been trying to call her," Seth answered honestly. "I haven't been able to reach her, though... I think her cell's off or something."

"Really? Why in the world would she turn her phone off _during her honeymoon?_" I growled at him, thoroughly disgusted by his bone-headed idiocity. Behind him, Jacob rolled his eyes as he plucked Nessie off of the bed and swung her up into his arms, and Rosalie snickered a little into her perfectly manicured hand.

Realization suddenly dawned across Seth's face. "Oh. _Oh. _Ugh, Leah! Thanks a lot. Now I've got to scrub my brain with bleach!"

"Jeez, Seth. What'd you think they were doing? Fishing?" asked Jacob with a resigned shake of his head.

"I... try not to think about it," he muttered back, his ears bright red, and I saw Bella nod her head vigorously in agreement from her place by the doorway. Rosalie snickered again, but Jake merely sighed.

"Doesn't matter, though. We've gotta tell her about all this, Leah."

"No, you don't," I replied sternly."At least not until she and Charlie get back home."

Jake started to protest, but I cut him off. "What good would it do to tell them now, besides make them rush home for no reason and ruin their honeymoon?"

"Leah's right, Jake," Carlisle pointed out when it looked like he was going to keep arguing. "She's going to be fine in a few more days, and there's no reason to worry her mother unnecessarily."

Frowning, Jake nodded curtly. "Fine. It can wait until they get home."

"Or never," I muttered stubbornly, and scowled as effectively as I could through the drugs at him.

"Uh, she's gonna wonder what happened to your car. It's kind of... totally destroyed," Seth put in quietly, and I slumped against my pillows in defeat.

"I think it's time Leah rested again," Carlisle murmured gently when Esme slid unobtrusively back into the room with a pitcher of water in one hand. Seth and Jake nodded as Bella took Nessie back into her arms and slid out of the room. The little girl blew me a kiss over her mother's shoulder as she disappeared, and Seth and Jake moved to follow her. Once again, I struggled to sit up only to be restrained instantaneously.

"Wait- you've gotta tell me what's happening first," I demanded, glaring at Jake. I was still the damn Beta, wasn't I? Just because Carlisle had me immobilized by a combination of drugs, splints, and tubes (okay, the broken bones might have been keeping me down, too) didn't mean I had no right to know what was going on.

"What happened with Cyrus? Where's Embry? And Quil? Nobody else got hurt, did they? And what about-"

Jake exchanged a lightening quick look with Carlisle before interrupting my slew of questions. "Everybody's fine, Leah. I sent Embry out to patrol with Quil for a bit. But Cyrus is, well..." he blew out a frustrated breath and ran a hand roughly over his face. "We lost him. Somehow, he got into the river, and none of us have been able to pick up his scent since."

_What? _Did he just tell me that slimy bastard was still running around somewhere out there? A sickening knot twisted up and settled into the pit of my stomach, and I heard Cyrus' voice as loud as a shout inside my head.

_Next time you won't be so lucky..._

"We're gonna find him, Leah," Jake went on swiftly. "I told you we were going to tear him apart, and we will. Between Sam's Pack and ours, and the Cullen's, we're going to find him. I swear."

"I better be there when you do. I'm going to rip off the _other _side of his face," I snarled, and Jake gave a short laugh.

"You know, even half-dead, you're still scary as hell," he told me, then obediently ducked out of the room with Seth trailing reluctantly behind him.

"I don't want to sleep anymore," I told Carlisle as firmly as I was able to, despite the fact that my eyes had been wanting to glue themselves shut for the last ten minutes. The doctor merely raised an eyebrow and went on drawing up a giant syringe of something I could only guess would be strong enough to knock out a grizzly bear.

"You'd like to be awake when I remove your chest tube?"

Whoa, _hell_ no. That was a completely different situation right there. I didn't utter one more word of protest- not that it really would've made a difference, anyway- and was back into the world of dreams before I could count to fifteen.

When I came back to consciousness again, I was mercifully minus several tubes and splints and in noticeably less pain. Rosalie and Esme sat like marble statues on either side of my bed, but sprang to life the moment I stirred.

"Hey, Lee. How are you feeling?" Rose asked immediately, and I saw her tawny eyes quickly scan me for signs of pain.

"Better," I croaked back, and my voice sounded horrific after her bell-like tones. "Except for the steel wool in my throat..."

Esme laughed quietly as she helped me sit up slightly to sip some water from a straw. "Carlisle had to go in to the hospital for a few hours, but Rose and I know what to do to keep you comfortable. And there's always Edward if something changes."

"What time is it?" I asked, my voice sounding slightly more human now.

"Two thirty-six in the morning. Wednesday morning."

Two-thirty. Ah, well, that explained why the house was so dark and quiet, and- _wait_. Did she say _Wednesday? _But I'd left work on _Monday afternoon_, so shouldn't this be.... Dammit. I was going to torture Cyrus with every scary medical instrument Carlisle had available, and then I was going to turn him over to my Pack. And sit back with popcorn and a camera to enjoy the show.

My eyes suddenly fixed on Rosalie. "Shouldn't you be in Paris buying me some new couture?"

"_Please,_" she snorted, sounding genuinely offended. "Do you really think I'm going to run off to some stupid fashion shows with you laying here like this? And before I get my hands on the bastard who did it?"

"_Rose. _You've been excited about going on this trip with Emmett for weeks! I'm _fine_. You could still have part of the week- get on a plane and get your perfect butt over there! We'll save you a piece or two of Cyrus for when you get home."

One perfect eyebrow rose haughtily. "If it were me, would you go?"

I opened my mouth, hesitated, then snapped it shut in a scowl because I didn't have an answer for that. Well, I did have an answer, and it was _hell, no, I wouldn't!_, but I couldn't tell her _that. _That'd just be giving in to easily. She smirked at me, obviously aware that she'd won the argument, and Esme decided to change the subject.

"Are you hungry, Leah? Carlisle said you could start eating again. _Lightly_," she emphasized. I wondered if she meant lightly for a Wolf, or lightly for a human. Now that she'd mentioned food, I realized I felt hungry enough to hunt down a herd of deer and pick the bones clean.

"I'll make you something. Anything you want," Rose threw in, and it was sort of funny how eager she sounded. "Waffles? Stir fry? Brownies?" When I just gaped at her, trying not to laugh (seriously? Waffles and stir fry? Who even put those two in the same sentence?), she jumped to her feet, grinning, and headed out the door. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'll just go whip up whatever we've got, and anything you don't want, I'm sure your garbage disposal Packmates will eat."

I rolled my eyes but didn't disagree with her. I think those boys would eat a tire if it was covered with enough ketchup. Esme followed Rose swiftly out the door to reappear moments later at my bedside with several steaming hot washcloths and a few towels in her hands.

"There now, I'm just going to help you get freshened up a little," she told me soothingly as she started wash my face and hands in a motherly fashion. "By morning, Carlisle thinks you'll be healed enough to be able to get up and take a short shower. That'll make you feel worlds better."

I didn't answer her. I couldn't. There was too big of a lump constricting my throat, because I suddenly had an intense longing for my _own _mother. I felt so stupid as a lone tear escaped down the side of my face onto my pillow, but isn't it natural for anyone to want their mom when they're hurt? Esme, with her sweet, motherly air, seemed to make my longing both better and worse at the same time. I was deeply grateful that she swiped away the tear track matter-of-factly and didn't say a word about it. For shit's sake, what happened to Bitter Harpy Leah who never, _ever _cried? I sure could've used her right then.

"I'm sorry," I muttered hoarsely, so quiet a human would never have heard me. "Sorry for being so much trouble all the time-"

"Don't, Leah. Don't you ever think that," Esme suddenly broke in fiercely, taking my face in her hands and looking straight into my eyes. "You are _not _trouble. I am so, _so _grateful to you. You have no idea what you've done for me, for all of us."

I frowned slightly_. _If she was talking about joining Jake's Pack against Sam's while Bella was pregnant, well, I did that (mostly) out of selfish reasons. And if she meant how the Pack had risked their lives against the Volturi, once again, that hadn't really been my decision, either. Her mouth twisted up into a wry grin, and I wondered if she could secretly read minds and just hadn't let on about it.

"Rosalie was my first daughter. My beautiful, angry, bitter daughter. Oh, she had reasons to be that way- very good reasons despite what Edward may have thought," she chuckled a little as she shook her head. "He may think he knows all about someone because he can read their thoughts, but that doesn't mean he _understands _them. Rosalie's story is a painful one. I know she'll tell you all about it herself one day, probably in more detail than she's ever told anyone else, too. But, Leah, my Rose has never been truly happy. I thought at first, when she brought Emmett to us, that he would heal her, but she needed more. She needed _you." _Esme beamed all over her kind, honest face, her cold hands on my cheek. "For the first time, my Rose is _happy. _You helped her heal, and I can never, _never _thank you enough."

I squirmed, embarrassed. "I didn't do anything..."

Esme laughed, but let go of me and quickly picked up the used washcloths and towels when Embry stuck his head around the door.

"Hey, B! You're looking less like a mummy!"

I scowled at him, even though my stomach did a funny, happy flip-flop. "Shouldn't you be at home? Sleeping?"

"Naw. Just got off of patrol and smelled food," he replied, and came the rest of the way into the room carrying an enormous, fully loaded tray. "Rose sent me down here with this to see if you wanted any of it- you _can _eat something, right?" Esme and I nodded, and his grin widened. "Awesome. Anyway, she said I could have whatever you didn't want, so..."

"So, you're hoping I don't have much of an appetite, right?"

He helped Esme set up the tray beside my bed and tried to look wounded. "The things you accuse me of! I would _never _try to steal your food! Besides, I think Rose is going to try to feed you everything in the kitchen."

Esme laughed as she helped me get comfortable in a semi-seated position. "I'd better go see if she needs any help, then! Embry, just put the tray outside the door when you're finished with it. And if you need anything, just say so."

"Thanks, Esme!" he replied through a mouthful of blueberry muffin, and she smiled indulgently at him before shutting the door behind herself.

"Hey- what if I wanted that muffin?" I demanded with an attempt at a glare. I had to get a shred of my dignity back after that show of weakness with Esme, after all. Unfazed, Embry looked down at the half left in his hand, then held it out to me with an innocent grin. "Thanks for sharing, but no thanks," I laughed, then grimaced when he shoved it all into his mouth at once. "Jeez, Tank. Your mother would be horrified. Which reminds me, have you even been home since Monday?"

"Nope, but Billy's covering for me. She thinks I'm camping with Jake. Getting in touch with nature and all that."

I poked at the enormous pile of eggs in front of me distractedly. "Tank, what's been happening out there? Jake gave me about two sentences worth of information. I want details."

"There's not much to tell," he sighed, sounding frustrated. "We lost the leech's scent right away- before you'd even shifted back... Whatever kind of twisted shit he is, he's _good_. Even with all the Cullen's and Sam's Pack, we can't find a trace of him. Alice can't see anything about him, though, so we're pretty sure he's not gone for good."

He paused to scowl at his plate of buttered toast like it was Cyrus himself, and I sternly repressed a shudder. Leah Clearwater did _not _shudder. Not even at the thought of her worst enemy biding his time somewhere out in the dark, waiting for another golden opportunity.

Embry was talking again, saying something about the two Packs working together to patrol larger areas around La Push and Forks, and I interrupted him abruptly.

"Wait- the Packs are working _together_? Effectively, or spending most of the time trying to tear each other's throats out?"

He grinned. "More or less effectively. I did kick the shit out of Paul once, though." He flexed his muscles smugly. "Cocky bastard deserved it. Other than that, Jasper's been doing double duty keeping everybody in a friendly-type mood."

"Hmph. Maybe we should ask him to come to all the Pack get-togethers. Less drama," I replied absently, then scrunched up my face into a grimace. "Or not, 'cause then some of us would _never _learn to control our tempers. We'd just get addicted to the Jasper Crack."

"Jasper Junkies?"

"Exactly. We'd all end up in support groups," I giggled, then made my face serious. "Hi, I'm Leah, and I'm addicted to Jasper."

"Better not let Alice hear you say that," Embry teased as he took the empty tray and set it outside the door. He flopped himself back into the chair next to my bed, and I noticed how terribly worn out he looked.

"You should go home and sleep. Or at least go find a couch or something here," I told him, and I did my best to sound firm and not concerned. He shrugged me off.

"Naw- I'm good. I'll just crash here."

"Tank, you're not sleeping on that chair. Not after running patrol for god knows how long."

Ignoring me, he settled deeper into the chair. "It's fine, B. Really. I'd rather sleep here."

"You'd rather sleep on a chair?" I demanded skeptically. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes and nodded. I waited, and it didn't take long for him to move, and then move again in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.

"You're not going to get any decent sleep like that," I stated, but he just ignored me and tried to hold still. Stubborn ass. He really wasn't going to leave, no matter _what _I said. Huffing a sigh, I worked to shuffle my still-splinted and semi-immobile self to the far edge of my bed. Hearing my muffled curses, Embry cracked one eye open and frowned at me.

"What're you doing? Carlisle said you shouldn't move around much yet. Your pelvic bone was shattered, you know."

"_Ouch_, no shit. That happens when you get chucked into a tree by a crazy bloodsucker," I muttered crossly. "Are you going to get in here, or did I just hurt myself for no reason?"

"Um..."

"Look, either you sleep on the bed or you leave. It's up to you."

"Carlisle will feed me my liver for dinner if I mess up any of your... attachments," he waved a hand vaguely at the few tubes and splints still connected to me, but he slid cautiously onto the bed next to me.

"Easy solution: just don't move around in your sleep."

He snorted and rolled over onto his side, facing me. His face looked so tired; I had the craziest urge to pull him close and run my fingers through his hair while he slept. That would _not _be good, not the least because Seth would have an absolute conniption if he walked in on that cuddlefest, and Rose would _never _let me live it down. I settled for resting my hand on his cheek instead.

"You need to sleep," I told him sternly, but my thumb brushed gently at the dark circles under his eyes. He gave me a half-grin, and I could've sworn he moved his head just the tiniest bit to keep contact with my hand.

"So do you, B."

I snorted. "That's all I've _been _doing. As soon as these bones heal, I'm taking double patrols to make up for it."

"Hopefully by then, we won't need to be patrolling anymore. The sooner we kill that piece of shit, the better I'll sleep."

"Me, too," I told him in a small voice, then reached down to grip his hand. "But don't you dare tell anyone I said that. I'm still the scariest Beta around."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed with a laughing smirk.

"Shut up, Tank," I growled, then yawned widely. "It's after four... You've gotta get some sleep before our darling Alpha has you running patrol again."

"Freakin' slave-driver," Embry agreed sleepily. It was a lame joke that made me sigh with frustration instead of smile. Judging by how absolutely haggard Jake had looked in the few minutes I'd seen him, he was probably running himself to death, taking on way more patrols than he should have, all because he felt like this mess had been his fault. Like somehow he should've stopped Cyrus from coming after me because he was the _Alpha_. Stupid idiot.

I started to say something about it to Embry, but the sudden, loud snore beside my ear stopped me. Still, his hand was warm in mine, and I fell asleep with a tiny grin on my face.


	24. Going up in Flames

**Going Up In Flames**

**AN: **_Oh my lord. About five minutes after I posted my last chapter, I realized I'd forgotten to thank everyone who'd reviewed the previous one! I feel like such a bitch... __**SO SORRY ABOUT THAT! **__It won't happen again, so please don't stop dropping me a line or two..._

_**THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS! **__You guys are gods and goddesses. LOVE you! _

_I apologize, also, for the long gap between chapters (again). Lots of reasons... but I won't bore you. This is a long one to make up for it, tho. Seriously looooooooong. Sorry! Hope you enjoy!_

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Despite being in an absolutely rotten mood, I'd never been so happy to go grocery shopping in my life before, and I probably never would be again after this, either. Not that I was complaining about my stellar care at the Cullen's, but almost a week of their constant spoiling just about smothered me. I'd nearly forgotten how to tie my own shoes by the time I got the okay to head back to the rez. Although, having Alice somehow set up a webcam viewing of the Paris fashion shows so we could shop for the latest couture from my bedside kind of made it all worth it.

Back home, I only had to worry about my Packmates' attempts to coddle me. Attempts which, in reality, only amounted to a pint of my favorite Ben 'n Jerry's ice cream, and never, _ever_, being left alone. Embry had, for all intents and purposes, moved into my house, which I secretly didn't mind in the slightest. Seth, however, was less than thrilled with my current sleeping arrangments- which was his own damn fault for finding out, since he didn't seem to know how to _knock, _and didn't have the brains to know innocent, friendly cuddling from the more _intimate _kind. He acted like he had to pour acid on his eyeballs, threw a huge fit, and somehow managed to talk Jake into putting Embry on night patrol. At least Jacob and Quil had the good sense not to say a word about it. Within my earshot, that is.

Stupid Wolf-boys were worse gossips than any high school drama queen I'd ever met. Emmet was _still _laughing over the whole thing.

"How many cans of black beans did you want me to get?" Embry asked, suddenly breaking into my silent musings by dumping his armload of cans into my cart. "I grabbed about ten or so."

"I don't know. How many burritos can you eat in one sitting?"

He scrunched up his face in serious contemplation. "Dunno. Twelve, if I'm just average hungry, not straight-off-patrol hungry."

"Then you should grab another armful," I replied absently, perusing my foot-long grocery list as he dutifully headed back to the canned foods. Feeding a bunch of hungry Wolves doing extra paroles was no joke, but since I was under strict doctor orders not to phase, I figured I could at least be useful in keeping them fed, even if they were a bunch of irritating shits.

Okay, so I couldn't cook half as well as Esme (which was bizarre since she hadn't actually had to cook for decades), but I could make the basics in enormously large quantities. And if those stupid Wolf boys complained, I'd dump arsenic all over it and shove it down their throats anyway.

... Can you tell it was driving me insane not to be able to patrol? Because bloody hell, was it ever. Speaking of which, I needed to buy a new (and more durable) frying pan thanks to my conversation that morning with my dearest Alpha. Jake had refused to give me any patrol duties until I got the okay, even _oh-so-kindly_ reminding me that I'd gotten smashed up so bad it might be another week before Carlisle thought I was ready to shift again, and I... kinda dented my best frying pan on his freakishly hard head. And then broke the handle off and chucked it at his retreating back.

So, yeah. Not so much in a great mood.

I grabbed two of the strongest-looking frying pans La Push's tiny grocery store had to offer, then headed to the check-out aisle. Embry met me there and dumped his last armload of cans onto the belt along with two 12-packs of Ramen.

"My cooking is _not _that bad," I snarled at him. He put his hands up and backed away slowly like he was afraid I was going to go ape-shit on his butt right there in the Shop 'n Go Food Mart check out aisle. Ah, it felt good to know my patented Leah Death Glare was still effective.

"You're cooking's good, B. I just love Ramen," Embry replied earnestly. I glared at him for a minute longer just because I was crabbier than a vegetarian in an all-you-can-eat steak buffet, then sighed and turned back to our huge pile of groceries.

Leaving him to finish bagging everything up, I headed out to his beat-up Ford with my arms full of the first load of food. Just my luck, I bumped into someone (literally) just outside the door, hard enough that I staggered backwards a step to regain my balance.

What the _hell. _Whoever it was had better be blind, or old, or in some other way not to be held responsible for banging into me, because otherwise I was going to kick their ass. It's not like I could see around the pile of groceries I was carrying.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking, and... Oh, _Leah! _Hi!"

The overly excited voice sounded vaguely familiar even as it grated on my nerves like Seth's chirper attitude in the morning. I manuevred my armload enough to be able to see the speaker and bit back a groan.

That Matt kid- or was it Mark? I couldn't remember- stood right in front of me, grinning hugely from ear to ear. And to make it worse, there were five more of his Packmates behind him, Leg-Fetish-Brady and Jared being among them. And, of course, Brady's eyes had wandered down below my waist, while Jared was very obviously trying to hold in a laugh. As for Matt and the other guys, well, let's just say they were looking at me like it was Christmas morning and _I _was their present.

Times like this made me wish Cyrus had finished me off.

"Wow. You look great! I mean, you look _healthy_," Matt stuttered out, and I arched one eyebrow at him, daring him to keep talking. Sure enough, the moron kept babbling like a prepubescent boy with a crush. "That is, for just being beat up. Not _beat up. _Uh... injured?"

Okay, a royal ass-whupping was about to occur, in Wolf form or not. Phasing and taking a chunk out of him be _so _worth the major shit I'd be in from Jacob. What the hell was this kid's problem?

I caught the amused, expectant gleam in Jared's eyes, and immediately snapped my mouth shut, damn near choking on the stream of profanities about to pour out. Jared was _hoping_ I_'_d tear into the kid unmercifully, acting like it would be some kind of twisted entertainment. _Oh, look! The Bitch is back! I always knew she couldn't really change! _No way in hell was I going to give him the satisfaction. Seeing the shock on his face made it worth the effort to give Matt a small, tight-lipped smile.

"Oh, hey, let me get those for you," said one of the other boys. Before I had time to blink, my groceries had been snatched right out of my hands.

"No, wait- I can handle that myself, ... er, um..." I trailed off, trying vainly to come up with the kid's name but blanking. He ignored me and headed to the open trunk of Embry's beat-up Ford while the others minus Jared gave his back the stink-eye.

"You've got more stuff inside, right? We'll grab it for you!" declared Matt eagerly, and all but Jared disappeared into the store before I could stop them.

_Deep breaths, Leah. One... two... three... four... must not phase in the parking lot..._

"It's, uh, it's good to see you back on your feet, Leah," Jared said on a poorly disguised laugh, breaking into my concentration. Scowling, I crossed my slightly trembling arms across my chest.

"Right. Get your pups under control, would ya? I don't need any help carrying my groceries."

The man started giggling- honest to god, uncontrollable, girlish, _giggling_, for cripe's sake, but it seemed like it was more at a private joke than at _me. _Which was lucky for him, because, unlike him, I was wearing shoes, and I wasn't above smacking him in the face with one of them.

Embry coming out of the door to join us with a comically confused look on his face distracted me. "What the hell, B? How'd you get an army of slaves? And can we use them more often?"

"They're _not _my slaves!" I hissed, embarrassed. "I don't even know their names!"

Jared snorted in an attempt to reign in his giggle-fit. "Don't tell them that. You'll break their fragile little hearts! They pretty much worship you like some kind of goddess, you know."

The boys in question trooped out of the store and passed us then, cutting off my angry retort. The way they all grinned at me like over-eager puppies made me cringe.

"See what I mean?" Jared muttered. "I swear, if I have to be subjected to another fantasy involving your legs, I'm going to kill Brady."

I'm guessing the less-than-amused look on my face bordered on scary, because Jared suddenly cleared his throat and barked at his troop to stop wasting time and get inside. I swear, I couldn't tell who was more mortified, them or I, when the pups chorused a 'see you later, Leah!' in unison. Even my worst Glare of Death couldn't stop Jared from laughing his ass off as he followed them into the store.

I caught Embry trying to hide a grin as we climbed into the front seat of his Ford, and I crossed my arms over my chest with an indignant huff.

"It's not freakin' funny, Tank!"

"Yeah, actually, it kinda is," he replied, the grin stretching wider across his face. "'Sides, you've gotta expect things like that when you're hot as hell."

"Oh, like you would know," I snorted sarcastically. He flexed some of his drool-worthy muscles, smirking.

"Please, B. I'm so hot, I make the sun look cold."

I had to laugh, even though I secretly thought it was true. That boy was just too damn sexy for his own good. Melt in your mouth, yes-sir-may-I-have-another bit of tasty goodness in one Wolf-boy package... and I _really _had to stop having those kinds of thoughts about him.

Quil met us at my front door when we pulled up, anxious for food before he and Embry left to take the next patrol. And despite my less-than-stellar cooking skills, the two of them dug into their share of the burritos like it was a four-star meal.

I left them to it and was working on frying up the meat for Seth and Jacob's food when I heard a timid knock on the front door. Frowning, spatula in hand, I whipped it open to reveal Emily's scarred face.

For a brief second, she stared at me with a distraught expression, wringing her hands, before diving at me and catching me in a tight hug.

What. The. Bloody-ass. Hell. Had she gone insane?

"Oh, Leah! I'm so glad you're okay! I've been so worried- you have no idea!" she sobbed into my shoulder. I stood completely stiff and still in her arms, sorely tempted to beat her off with my spatula. I was aware of the tense silence emanating from the kitchen, and I wondered if she knew Embry and Quil were listening in on this little episode. Emily's snot and tears soaked into my shirt, but I was too shocked to say or do anything.

It took her a few minutes, but when I didn't respond to her hug, she finally composed herself enough to pull away from me. She wiped her eyes, still looking at me, and I finally managed to get myself together enough to say something.

"Uh, yeah. Did you want something?"

Probably not the friendliest of responses, but what did she expect anyway? Her face fell, and fresh tears started to leak down her cheeks. I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and worried that she was going to try to hug me again.

"I wanted to see you, Leah. You almost _died_; I couldn't stand not seeing for myself that you're alright," she continued passionately. "Sam won't tell me much about what happened... all I could think about was you being hurt. I could've taken care of you if you'd come back to La Push right away-"

"The Cullens fixed me up, Emily. There's nothing to worry about," I cut in. The good side of her face pulled into a quick grimace, like she realized she'd just said something wrong.

"Of course they did. I didn't mean it like that. I'm so grateful that Dr. Cullen could help you. But Leah- I can't help worrying about you. You're my _family. _My _cousin_. I miss you..."

She trailed off awkwardly and looked at me expectantly. I couldn't answer her because I just didn't know what to say. I couldn't tell her that I missed her, too, because I _didn't_. I didn't even really want to be around her, much less be her friend. The only reason I was standing there talking to her at all was because Jacob wanted us to keep peace between the Packs- for his sake and especially Quil's. I also owed her Pack for helping mine with the search for Cyrus, so I couldn't very well slam the door in her face.

"You... you shouldn't worry about me, Emily," I finally muttered when nothing else suitable came to mind. She broke into a smile, like I had just told her I'd forgiven her for everything, and hugged me again. Mustering up every ounce of acting power I had, I managed to lift one hand to pat her twice on the back. And, _oh great_, she was sniveling into my shoulder again.

"Oh, Leah! I know we've had problems, and we've kind of grown apart," she began once she'd pulled back and mopped her face again. I was hard pressed not to snort incredulously at her major understatement; she didn't seem to notice. "But, ever since your... your _accident, _I just can't stop thinking about how I'd almost lost you and everything we'd been through growing up together... Leah, if you'll consider it, I'd really, _really_ like for you to be in my wedding, just like we've been planning since we were little girls. You agreed to it before, even though I know things changed after you- after you joined the Pack. And I know Sam... er, some of the boys won't be happy about me asking you, but... It just won't be right without you as a bridesmaid. "

The house was so silent that I could've heard a mouse sneeze. Nobody was breathing; not me, not Emily, and not either one of the boys in the kitchen. I could _feel _Quil begging me to agree to it to keep Emily (and therefore Sam and the La Push Pack) happy. Now, I may never admit it out loud, but there wasn't a whole lot I wouldn't do for my Packmates. Hell, I'd die for any of them- but this? This was asking a lot.

"Oh... I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure it's a good idea..." I began uncertainly, but Emily cut me off.

"Please, Leah? It would mean so much to me. It really would."

I took a deep breath, then blew it out silently. Would it really be so terrible to agree to this? To stand up there in an ugly dress, having everyone look at me with pity while she and Sam exchanged vows?

Yes. Yes, it probably would. But what the hell did it matter, anyway, if it made things easier for Quil and Jacob?

"Fine. Yeah, I'll be a bridesmaid, if you really want me to be," I muttered quietly. Emily flung her arms around me, _again_, and I winced since she couldn't see my face.

"Oh, Leah!" she blubbered. "I'm so happy, you have no idea! I'll talk to my mom right away and get your dress ordered. If we get you fitted next week, everything should be ready in time!"

Now I was confused. "Isn't the wedding going to be in September? What's the rush?"

"It was, but we just decided to move it up to this month," Emily replied sheepishly. She blushed and put her hands over her lower stomach nervously. "It wasn't what we planned, but we... I'm pregnant, so we didn't want to wait for fall to get married."

The bottom fell out of my universe, and I felt vaguely like puking, but I kept a fake smile plastered on my face.

"Oh. Well, that's... that's... um, congratulations," I forced out lamely, and she smiled wider than ever, with a touch of relief. I supressed a twinge of anger. What the hell did she expect me to do, attack her?

"We haven't told many people yet, just my mom and the rest of the wedding party, so please don't say too much yet. We'll be sending out the new invitations in a few days, though," she went on breathlessly. Again, I just smiled and nodded while she talked on about getting me fitted for my bridesmaid dress and how happy she was that I would be in her wedding. I wasn't even sure what she all said, just that sometime soon she'd be calling me with fitting times and so on.

I closed the door slowly when she'd finally left, and took a few deep breaths to compose myself. A baby. Emily and Sam were going to have a _baby_. Not only were they getting married in just a few weeks, they were going to have a child together. A life, a family, a _child. _Everything I would have had, in another lifetime. Everything I would never have now.

Numbly, I walked back into the kitchen, heading instinctively toward Embry. For what, I didn't know. Comfort? An escape?

...Love?...

Whatever I was looking for, I wasn't going to get it from him at the moment. He stood up slowly as I came through the door, but his face was dark as thunderclouds, and his eyes were cold and black as chips of obsidian. I swallowed, but pretended not to notice anything and calmly went back to frying the meat. The air in the room was thick and heavy with tension, and I jumped when his voice cut through the silence.

"What. The. Hell. Leah, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

The growl in his voice made me want to wince, but I stood my ground, turned around, and glared instead. I was Leah Clearwater, after all.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I just agreed to be a bridesmaid. Or re-agreed, since I said I'd do it before I sprouted fur," I replied sarcastically.

"Are you masochistic or something? Why the hell would you agree to this? It's sick. It's messed up," Embry shot at me. His voice shook slightly from the tremors beginning to rock through his body.

I felt like punching him but held myself still. "Because it's _my _decision, Call. Because it'll make things easier for everybody. Because she's _Emily_, and she gets what she wants."

"_Fuck Emily. _Who gives a shit what she wants?"

I internally winced at the anger in his snarled words, but my mouth moved fast enough to hide it. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe _Sam _for one."

Oops, wrong thing to say. The fury on his face doubled, as did his tremors. He looked like he was barely holding his skin together, but he still managed to sneer at me.

"Yeah, I forgot. _Sam _might be upset, and you wouldn't want that, would you? Not your _precious, fucking, Sam!_"

Holy _shit_. He did not just say that to me. Did he? _How could he say that to me?_ I was shaking now, my carefully constructed facade in shambles as I fought hard not to phase and go for his jugular. And judging bythe look on his face, he was fighting the same urge.

The sudden scraping of chair legs against the worn linoleum floor distracted me, and I shifted my glare to Quil. He got to his feet awkwardly and mumbled something about going on patrol before bolting out of the room as fast as his human legs could carry him. At any other time, I would have laughed out loud at how goofy he looked, but not now. Right now I was far too pissed off. And hurt. I felt like I had just been stabbed in the heart, and I _hated _Embry for it.

"You have no right-" I began in a shaking voice, but Embry cut over me angrily.

"What is so god-damned special about _Sam Uley_ that you can't get over him, Leah? Huh? Fill me in, 'cause I gotta tell you, I can't see it."

A lump of tears threatened to clog my throat, but I choked them back. "You don't see a damn thing, Embry Call. You're _blind_. You're-"

"Yeah, I'm blind! I actually thought you were growing a spine, that you'd had some self-respect_. _That you were finally getting over your _pathetic, stupid_ sniveling for _him. _Thanks for proving me wrong."

"Get. Out. Of. My. House," I snarled at him in a dangerously quiet voice laced with acid.

"With pleasure," he growled back, and was gone before I could even think to throw the spatula in my hand at the back of his head. The faint sound of fabric tearing reached my ears a short second later, and I knew he'd phased and was running hard for the Cullen territory.

Suddenly, all my anger- and the tremors with it- disappeared, and I crumpled to a heap on the floor. I only realized I was crying when the salty, wet smell permeated my senses; I rubbed my fists against my eyes roughly.

What the hell had just happened? What had happened to my Tank, the one that always seemed to know what was bothering me? I had needed him, and he'd let me down.

Anger bouyed me up again, and I harshly scrubbed the traitorous tear-marks off my face. The meat was burning on the stove, and I went back to cooking it with a whole lot more energy than I needed.

How _dare _Embry say those things to me? How dare he accuse me of still chasing after Sam, of still _wanting_ Sam. Like I'd agreed to be in his stupid wedding just so I could pretend it was _me _getting married to him.

Well, fuck that. I was Leah Clearwater. I was _not _that pathetic.

... And I _wasn't _going to care that Embry had just run out on me and most likely wasn't going to be coming back. That was his loss, the stupid mutt.

I slammed the bowl of charred meat onto the table with the rest of the burrito fixings just as Seth and Jacob came in the front door. I could tell by the way they both watched me warily and stayed out of range of my fists when they came into the kitchen that Quil had given them the heads-up.

"I'm going out," I snarled, the look on my face daring either one of them to just _try _to stop me. Or worse yet, offer to go with me. Seth started to open his mouth, but Jacob's hand on his shoulder stopped him. The way my over-protective Alpha nodded silently at me, despite how badly I could tell he wanted to remind me not to go near the borderline, made me almost feel guilty about smashing my frying pan over his head that morning. Almost.

Jacob didn't need to worry, though. I had no intention of going anywhere near the border. I was pissed off, but I wasn't stupid. Besides the threat of Cyrus lurking out there somewhere, one of the Wolves from Sam's Pack would be on me in a heartbeat if I got anywhere close to the edge of the rez, and the last thing I needed was to deal with any of _them_ again today.

It was a good thing I knew Embry was phased at the moment, otherwise the urge to do so myself would've been overpowering. And as much as I bitched about not being able to patrol, the occasional ache deep in my healed bones told me that wouldn't be the greatest idea I'd ever had. I settled for sitting with my back against an ancient pine and letting my thoughts drift instead.

The sun had long since set and the moon was high overhead when a familiar scent wafted into my nose. A scent that once upon a time might have made me want to shrivel up and die, but now just made me feel like cursing and punching the nearest solid object.

_Sam._

Damn it all to hell. Why was he stopping in mid-run and phasing back to his human form now, of all times? There was no one in the entire history of the human, vampire, and shape-shifter world that I wanted to see less than him right now. Even worse, I couldn't get up and run away from him without looking like a pathetic, love-sick, coward.

Which I _wasn't, _no matter what Embry thought.

So I sat there and fixed Sam with a look of annoyed indifference when he came out of the trees towards me.

"Leah, what are you doing? You shouldn't be out here by yourself. You know it's not safe-"

"Are you saying your Pack can't keep Cyrus off the rez, Uley?" I interrupted him mockingly. He flushed red underneath his dark skin and changed the subject.

"Emily told me she went to see you, and that she asked you to be her... her bridesmaid. I _wanted _to tell her not to do that, but I couldn't upset her.I just... couldn't. Leah, you have to understand. The truth is... Emily- she's, well, she's-"

"Pregnant. I _know_," I grated out between my gritted teeth. His eyes snapped up to meet mine, and my heart recoiled in horror at what I saw there. I wanted to scream until my throat bled.

_Don't you dare pity me, Samuel Levi Uley! Don't give me that 'poor Leah with her dead, empty uterus' look or I will gouge your eyes out with my bare fingers!_

But damn me to the deepest level of hell if it wasn't pity written all over him. I swallowed once, hard, to keep myself from spewing out a string of the filthiest curses I knew at him, then scrambled to my feet and started walking swiftly away.

"Wait, Leah-"

I heard him, he knew I heard him, but there was no chance in hell I was going to turn back around. His large, hot hand on my wrist brought me to a sudden halt, and I swore viciously under my breath. I couldn't remember the last time Sam had touched me, and now this. Why now? I didn't want to stay there with him another second. I didn't want to see that awful, pitying look in his eyes.

"Let me go this second, Sam Uley, or I swear to every god in the universe that you will never father another child again." My voice dripped with venom, and I was proud of how calm and even it sounded. Unfortunately, the violent tremors rocking me definitely gave me away; I was seconds away from phasing, and there was no way I could hide _that_.

He didn't loosen his grip on my wrist at all. "Leah, listen to me. This isn't what I-"

"Just stop it, Sam. You've said it all before, and there's no reason to say it again. _We _are in the past, so just leave it there."

"But, Leah-"

Still shaking, I wrenched my wrist out of his hand harshly. The only emotion I felt was anger. Anger at Emily for putting the two of us in this awkward position, anger at myself for caring that she was living the life I should've had, and anger at the pity in Sam's eyes. I vibrated with the force of my fury, and he took a step back.

"I will smile and play my part and be a good bridesmaid for Emily. I won't ruin her perfect day. She'll be blissfully happy and think that all's right with the world, and that's all you really need to know, right?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "So let's just grow up and play nice, okay?"

The bastard actually had the audacity to look _hurt. _"I never wanted this, Leah. If I could change things, I would, I swear."

"Is that so?" I drawled sarcastically, one eyebrow raised. "Well, _I _wouldn't. Fate was right. We most definitely _don't _belong together, Sam. And I'm glad you imprinted. I'm _glad _I figured it out now instead of twenty or thirty years from now, after I'd wasted half my life over you."

He winced, and I should've felt guilty for being such a bitch, but I didn't. Not even the tiniest bit. I did, however, want to keep the peace between the Packs. And I wanted, for the first time in all the years since he'd imprinted on Emily, for things to just be _peaceful _between us. I had told him that it was all in the past, and dammit, I wanted it to stay there!

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb and sighed heavily. "Look, let's just forget this ever happened, okay? You're happy with Emily, and I'm... well, I'm happy enough just living my life without _you_. So let's just keep out of each other's way as much as possible."

"Sure. Yeah," Sam agreed after a long pause, but his eyes still held a mixture of sadness and longing and pity (damn him!). "If that- if it makes you happy."

"It does," I replied curtly, then turned to go. "I'm sure I'll see you around before the... before your wedding, so..."

He looked a little lost, standing there under the trees where I'd left him, as he raised a hand in a limp farewell. "Yeah... Goodbye, Leah."

I didn't bother to answer him. I'd said goodbye enough times to that man to fill my lifetime quota. I also, to my credit, resisted the urge to turn around and give him the one-fingered salute.

Light streamed across my lawn from my porch, but other than that, the house was dark when I quietly snuck through the front door. Dark, but not at all quiet. Why the hell did Wolf-boys snore so damn loud?

I could see Jacob's enormous frame sprawled out across my couch when I tip-toed past the living room, and I cursed silently when a floorboard creaked treacherously under my foot. He didn't so much as twitch, unless you counted an extra loud, rumbling snort, and the equally loud snores coming from Seth's bedroom didn't miss a beat, either. I breathed a sigh of relief and escaped up the stairs to my own room.

It was hard to ignore Embry's scent permeating my room. The crumpled up pairs of cut-offs in the corner wasn't helping, either. I didn't _want_ to think about him. I didn't want to feel the hurt building up underneath my anger. And I really didn't want to think about the empty hole that had opened up in my chest the minute he'd run out of my house.

So he thought I couldn't get over Sam, did he? What the hell did he even know about it? I was over Sam. I _was. _And I'd prove it to him.

I yanked open my closet door and pulled out the gigantic, black garbage bag I'd been filling with all my old and ratty clothes. They were unceramoniously dumped onto the floor to make room for anything and everything that had any connection to Sam.

That red shirt that had always been his favorite? Gone. That shoebox filled with pictures of the two of us? Tossed. Yearbooks, old love-notes, the stuffed rabbit he'd won me out one of those stupid vending machines, and on and on and on. Good lord, how much shit had I been hanging on to all these years?

Satisfied at last that every trace of Sam was gone- nothing else could fit into the over-stuffed bag anymore, anyway- I whipped out my cell phone and called Rose.

"Hey, you busy?" I asked once her perfect, clear voice answered.

_"Nothing that I couldn't do in the next hundred years or so. What's up?"_

"Is that fireplace in your room just for decoration, or does it actually work?"

There was a momentary pause before she answered. _"It works_. _Should I bother to ask why?"_

"I've got some things I need to burn," I replied shortly. "Tonight, if you're fine with me using it."

"_Well, I don't know. I need my beauty sleep..." _she teased, then got serious when I didn't joke back. "_Of course you can use it. Emmett and I will pick you up at the border in five minutes. Ten if you want s'more fixings."_

Now I laughed. "Yeah, s'mores would be good. See you in ten."

I hung up and quickly changed into a comfy pair of pajama shorts and a cami tank before slinging the overly-full bag over my shoulder. With any luck, I'd be able to sneak out of the house again without waking up either of the boys...

"Where're you going now, Lee?" Jacob's voice boomed out of the dark living room as I tip-toed past. I squeaked and dropped the bag onto my foot.

"Ouch! Dammit, Black! I'm heading over to the Cullen's. Rose and Emmett are picking me up at the border," I snapped at him.

He suddenly loomed up in front of me, totally unfazed by my cranky attitude. "I'll walk to the border with you."

"I don't need you to babysit me!"

"I'm not babysitting you," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "I'm just trying to be _nice. _Friends don't let friends wander around alone, right?_"_

I sighed in exasperation. "I'm not going to stop you, am I?"

"Nope."

He flashed his trademark grin before hoisting up my bag and heading out the front door. There was nothing for it but to follow him through my backyard and into the trees. We walked silently side by side for several minutes before Jacob suddenly cleared his throat.

"So... Quil told us about Emily's visit."

Dammit. I knew the silence was too good to last. I could tell Jake was stealing cautious glances at me from the corner of his eyes as we trudged along, but I kept my own glare directed at the dirt. Past experience told me that I wasn't going to get him to shut up if he had something he thought he needed to say, so I didn't try. I sure as hell wasn't going to _encourage_ him, though.

When it became painfully obvious I wasn't going to reply, Jake heaved a heavy sigh. "You didn't need to say yes to her, you know, Leah."

That made me snap my eyes up to glare hotly at him. He didn't even flinch.

"I mean it," he continued. "It's not like I don't appreciate how much it'll help keep things smooth between the Packs, but... Hell, Leah. I couldn't have done it with Bella. I would never have asked you to do this with Sam."

"I don't give a shit about Sam," I burst out in a mortifyingly scratchy voice. I told myself sternly that it was _not _the threat of tears making my eyes itch. Just because Jacob honestly cared- and not only that but _understood_- was no reason to turn into a blubbering idiot.

"I _don't," _I insisted stubbornly when Jake didn't say anything. "Despite what _Embry Call_ thinks-" I hoped my angry tone would cover up the note of sadness- "I am not doing this for Sam. Or for some sick, pathetic fantasy that he'll leave Emily at the alter for me. I'm doing it for the Pack."

Jacob gave me a long, hard look, then nodded slowly. "Okay. If you're willing to do this, I won't stop you."

"Thanks, Oh Mighty Alpha. I'm so honored you let me make my own decisions," I replied with a sarcastic roll of my eyes. "'Never going to use the Alpha command' my grey, furry ass."

"If you guys weren't all such idiots, I wouldn't have to," he teased back, then grew serious. "Hey, go easy on Embry, okay? Just... let him cool down a little and talk it out with him."

I snorted angrily even as a knife of pain sliced through my chest. Jake sighed again and scrunched up his face like he was struggling to find the right words.

"Look, he just... he really cares about you, you know? Give him another chance."

We'd reached the border, and I could see the headlights from Emmett's Jeep heading towards us. I took the over-stuffed garbage bag from Jake and tried to shrug indifferently.

"Fine. Whatever. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Maybe," I mumbled. Jake grinned his thousand-watt smile at me, and I just knew the bastard saw right through my attempt at nonchalance. I scowled at him as he turned to leave, but it didn't affect his cheerful attitude in the slightest.

"Thanks," he called over his shoulder just before he disappeared into the trees, then paused and gave me another serious look. "And Leah, just because Emily got herself knocked up doesn't make her any better than you. Remember that."

A thick lump of tears lodged itself so quickly in my throat that I choked. Before I could get any words out, Jake had waved at me with that stupid grin on his face and melted away into the trees. Damn him for knowing me so well!

The jeep slid to a halt next to me, and I threw my bag into the backseat and climbed in next to it.

"Whoa. You weren't kidding about having some things to burn," Rose said, staring at the garbage bag with raised eyebrows. "Doing some spring cleaning or what?"

"Getting rid of a lot of shit I should've burned _years_ ago," I replied as I pulled out a picture of Sam and I from the top of the bag and flashed it at her.

"Ah. I see. I'm surprised you didn't already do this with Embry, though."

"Dude, _yeah. _At one of your big Pack bonfire things! That would've been epic!" Emmett added, grinning broadly at me through the rearview mirror. I scowled at him, even though that _was _an interesting idea. Dump all this junk into the flames right in front of Sam? Tempting. Very tempting.

"Embry Call," I growled fiercely, "needs to get his ass severely kicked. By a person wearing a very pointy boot."

"Oh, dear. Sounds like somebody's having boy troubles," Rose sighed dramatically. I pouted and dropped my face into my hands.

"I wish I was gay. I really do," I muttered dejectedly to her. "Then I could just imprint on _you _and be done with it. Oh- but then you'd have to realize that you're gay, too."

"Oh, _yeeeaaahhh. _Mental image of the decade!" breathed Emmett in an awed sort of way. I kicked the back of his seat, and Rose shot him a dirty (but amused) look before turning to grin at me.

"I could go along with that... except, for whatever inexplicable reason, I think I'd miss my big, burly ape of a husband."

"No problem," Emmett spoke up enthusiastically. "You could be bi. I'm good with sharing."

Rose and I both swatted him on the back of his head in one fluid, synchronized movement that would've decapitated a normal human. He grumbled about it for a moment before glancing in the rearview mirror at me with a huge shit-eating grin on his face.

"I bet you I can get Edward to grab his little wifey-poo and run for their cottage for some of their sedate, missionary style nookie-time just by thinking about this."

I snorted. Edward the Prude? Ha. He'd probably give Emmett his constipated warthog 'I'm-so-offended!' look and tell him to clean up his thoughts or go elsewhere.

"I'll take that bet. A hundred bucks," I replied confidently as we pulled to a smooth halt in the Cullen's massive garage.

My bag in tow, Rose and I headed swiftly up to her room. The fire was already burning brightly, and Rose pulled the s'more fixings out of the grocery bag she was carrying and flopped down in front of it.

"Well? Aren't you going to get started?" she asked after I stood there staring at the flames for a few minutes. I scrunched up my face in thought.

"I dunno. It feels like I should say something dramatic. Mark the occasion or whatever."

"How about, 'Here's to Sam. Thank god the bastard didn't imprint on me'?"

A half-grin crept up my face, and I shrugged. "Works for me. So-" I held up a handful of photos- "here's to Sam."

I tossed them in, and we watched the fire swallow them up greedily. After that, Rose helped throw handful after handful into the flames. It felt good. Cathartic. And _long _overdue.

We'd gone through half the bag before Rose finally voiced the question I knew she'd been dying to ask since I'd called her that night.

"So... are you going to tell me what brought this on?"

I put a hot, gooey marshmallow between some chocolate and graham crackers before I answered her. "Emily came to see me today. She... she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids."

"That dirty bitch," Rose bit out harshly. "Let me guess, she went all hurt-and-innocent victim on you when you turned her down, right?"

"I told her I'd do it."

The stunned look on Rose's face was quite honestly comical. "You- _what? _Leah, what the hell kind of messed up thing to do was that? _Why?_"

I stared into the fire, mechanically feeding handfuls from the garbage bag into the flames. "Embry thinks I'm doing it because of Sam. Because I'm not over him, like I'm still clinging to some pathetic hope that Sam'll see me coming down the aisle and realize I'm the one he's been in love with the whole time. It's not like that at all. It's not _Sam_ that I care about."

Rose was silent, just listening, and I was grateful for that. I just needed to explain it, say it out loud and have someone understand exactly how I felt.

"It's not the fact that it's Sam getting married that's hard for me. What's hard is watching someone else live the life I was going to have, if I had been normal. And I don't just mean a life with Sam. I mean that sort of life in general: being a bride, a wife, a _mother._" I paused again, and Rose reached out to take my hand. I took another, shuddering breath and squeezed out the words that hurt me the most. "Emily's _pregnant_. She's pregnant, and she expects me to be _happy _for her."

"Like rubbing acid into an open sore," Rose murmured. She gripped my hand, and both of us fell silent once again. I knew she understood. More than that; I knew she felt the depth of my pain, had felt it herself before, and she would not grudge me my tears.

The silence stretched on between us as the bag was slowly emptied of all it's broken memories. Together, we watched, unmoving, as the fire slowly died away into a few glowing embers in the darkest part of the night.

The stillness was abruptly broken by a sudden slamming of the front door, followed by peals of laughter from Emmett.

"You owe me a hundred bucks, Clearwater!"


	25. Making Up

**Making Up**

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**AN: **_**To all my dear, sweet, awesome, and irreplaceable readers- and even more so to anyone who's ever reviewed this story- here is a short note of explanation for my long absence. And a new chapter, too! **_

_So, first off, I sincerely apologize for the several month gap. I truly do. See, it's like this: I've been writing when able, but 1. We moved back across country 2. I started working at my old job again and work more than I did before. 3. My three yr old fell and fractured his skull. He's okay now- just one more neurologist visit this week, and hopefully it'll be all behind us. _

_So there it is. Not great reasons, but reasons none-the-less. Life is settling down now, and winter is setting in, so I should be updating MUCH more frequently. I truly, honestly hope and pray some of you are still here, still patient with me, and still reading! Please do drop me a line if you can. I know I don't deserve it after this long of a wait, but I do appreciate it more than you know! Love and hugs to all of you!_

_

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_

I had discovered a whole new level of pathetic, and it's name was Leah Clearwater.

Here I was at the butt-crack of dawn, fingers drumming the countertop as I stared out the kitchen window impatiently. I should've been sleeping, considering I'd stayed up the whole night burning memories with Rose, but _no_. I just had to rush home at five in the morning, ostensibly to fix breakfast for Jake and Seth, but in reality to wait for Embry to show up at my door. Because he _would _come. He wouldn't stay angry at me; he'd show up and we'd clear up this stupid mess between us and everything would go back to the way it was before.

But the clock was ticking away the minutes, the french toast was getting cold on the table, and there was no sign of either Embry or Quil. To add another facet to my patheticness, my desire to hurl the fridge through the window was beginning to be outweighed by the urge to go up to my empty room and cry myself to sleep.

I was already half-way up the stairs in full-on pout mode when the front door creaked open. My feet refused to listen to my silent, stern lecture on the importance of dignity and pride, and rounded the kitchen doorway with embarrassing speed.

Quil looked up from the giant plate of french toast he'd already helped himself to with a tired grin, and my heart that had just been doing somersaults on my tonsils sank somewhere below my ankles.

Embry wasn't there.

"Hey, Quil. Long night?" I asked quickly in an attempt to cover it up. He shrugged and grimaced.

"Dead quiet. Not so much as a sniff of your stalker. If he's still around, he's hiding good."

I sank down in one of the chairs across from him and sighed heavily. That wasn't exactly news; Alice couldn't see anything about Cyrus, and none of us could find any other sign of him, either. Frustrating did not even begin to cover it.

I pulled the rest of the cold french toast in front of me, and the two of us ate in dejected silence. Well, Quil ate. I mostly just stabbed viciously at the food on my plate, although I didn't know if I was pretending it was Cyrus or Embry. I didn't even bother to look up when Quil dumped his plate into the sink and headed for the door.

"Hey, Leah... Embry didn't mean what he said yesterday," Quil suddenly said softly. I glanced up at him with an arched eyebrow, and he squirmed uncomfortably.

"Look, I was in his head all night. It wasn't pleasant. He feels like a grade-A shit for losing it like that, you know? We're all tired and stressed... cut him some slack and go talk to him, yeah? I'm pretty sure he was heading up to the cliffs."

What was I supposed to say to that? I couldn't come up with anything that didn't a) make me sound like a sappy pushover, or b) make me sound like a complete, uncaring bitch. So I guess it was lucky for me that Quil didn't stick around for my reply. The front door slammed behind his hasty escape, and I just kept sitting there, stabbing at my french toast mush.

Could I really be pathetic enough to go to the cliffs looking for Embry?

... Yes. Yes, I could.

Damn it all, he was being stupid. And stubborn. And... and just all around asshatty. _For no reason. _It wouldn't compromise my dignity if I went and beat his furry kiester until he realized it. But, just in case, I threw on an old sports bra and some running shorts. I could always pretend I was just out for a jog and _happened _to run into him.

I had all kinds of angry rants and ideas for making my Tank grovel ready to go in my head, but they got hopelessly twisted up the minute I saw him sitting on the edge of the cliff, with his bare, bronze, gorgeous back turned towards me. It was like all the negatives got jumbled together and turned themselves into one big positive.

Yep. One big postive in the shape of a stupid, beautifully muscled Wolf boy.

Like the pathetic loser I was, instead of walking up and sucker-punching him in the gut, I merely sat down next to him at the edge of the cliff. Embry didn't say a word; we both watched the waves rolling by far beneath our dangling feet while he fidgeted with a loose string hanging from the hem of his cut-offs.

"Why didn't you show up for breakfast?" I finally asked quietly. He blew out a heavy breath through his teeth.

"Didn't think you'd want me there, after how much of an ass I was yesterday."

"Yeah, well..." I shrugged casually, "it would've been more convenient to beat some sense into you there."

"Leah, do you still-" Embry cut himself off sharply in mid-sentence and clenched his hands into fists. "Did you really agree to this bridesmaid thing to keep things smooth for the Packs?"

I sighed and looked out across the horizon. "That's the biggest reason, yeah. But, I didn't have too much of a choice, you know? If I refused, then I look like the bitter ex-girlfriend who _still _can't move on with her life, and I don't want that. I don't want people to keep thinking I'm in love with Sam, because I'm _not. _It's not Sam that still hurts- it's having to watch a kind of life I can never have. It's seeing the pity on everyone's faces, because it should've been me. It _could've _been me. If only I was a normal girl instead of being this... this genetic mess. If only I wasn't some kind of freaky _mistake-_"

"Stop it, B. Stop," Embry interrupted me harshly. One of his strong hands gripped the top of my arm, and his dark eyes locked on to mine intently. "You're not a freak. You're _not _a mistake. My god, don't you even see yourself? You- you're _amazing_. You're strong, you're smart, you're unbelievably hot, you're a shitload of things no other woman could even dream to be, and _you think you're not good enough?"_

He pushed himself back from the edge and stood up in one fluid, graceful movement. I slowly got to my feet, gaping at him as he rubbed a frustrated hand over his hair. I got the feeling that he wanted to shake me until even the bones in my toes rattled.

"Why the hell can't you see what I see, B? What if maybe, just maybe, Sam didn't imprint on you because _he _wasn't good enough for _you_, and not the other way around? That maybe you being a Wolf doesn't make you a freak, but just shows how unique and special you really are? What if-"

Suddenly, I was kissing Embry Call with every iota of passion in my body, and I had no idea how I'd gotten there. Although, considering the fact that my arms were wound tightly around his neck while he just stood there in numb shock, I'm guessing that _I _was the one who started it.

My brain just had time to register that thought before Embry's hands found my hips and he kissed me back with so much force that I forgot why I ever thought this would be a bad idea. And stopping? Ha. Not an option.

The heavy clouds began dumping bucket loads of icy rain onto us, but it hardly mattered. It only made the feeling of his skin on mine feel more like searing fire, and I pressed in closer. I couldn't get enough of him against me.

His lips broke off from mine to trail across my jawbone to the sensitive spot just below my ear. The world spun around me, but whether it was from the lack of air or from what he was doing to me, I couldn't tell. A breathless moan escaped my lips as his muscles- _oooooh, his muscles!_- rippled underneath my fingertips.

There was a logical part of me that still knew this was wrong. The little voice was doing it's damnedest to shout all kinds of warnings at me, but it just couldn't compete with the rest of me screaming, '_yes, yes, YES!' _at the top of my proverbial lungs. Actually, I was pretty sure I was seconds away from shouting it out loud, too, since Embry's hands were slowly sliding up my sides.

I blame those hands (and his magic tongue skills...) for why the sudden outbreak of wild howling didn't register in my brain immediately. And when it did, I _really _didn't want to care about it.

"Dammit!"

Embry growled out the frustrated curse as the sound of the howling intensified, and I silently agreed with him. There was no way to ignore it now, especially as our sensitive ears caught the faint, baying timbre of Jacob's call over the sound of the waves crashing beneath us. On the up side, there was no time for awkwardness as Embry and I darted to the edge of the trees, stripped in record time, and phased.

_Owwwww_. I guess Carlisle wasn't kidding when he told me it wouldn't be a good idea to phase yet. My bones and tendons protested the sudden change with sharp, stabbing pains that settled into a dull throb.

_"Leah! Thank god!" _Seth's worried voice instantly took my mind off of my aching bones.

_"What is it? What the hell's going on?" _I demanded just as Quil joined us, groggy from sleep.

_"One of Sam's pups caught Cyrus's scent," _Jacob answered quickly. From the bits flashing through his and Seth's minds, I could see that they were sprinting back to the Rez as fast as their four legs would take them. And not just to the border, either. They were heading straight into the heart of La Push.

_"Wha- __**inside **__the Rez?" _Embry exclaimed. "_You're telling me he got past__ the borders?"_

Jacob didn't answer, but his thoughts were grim.

Jared, Colin, and a few of the younger Wolves cut through the woods in front of us, and Embry and I raced after them, following them to what I was guessing would be the source of the scent.

_"I do __**not **__like the direction we're heading," _Embry growled next to me. I had to agree. We were heading back to the more populated areas of La Push; more specifically, we were heading in the direction of my house.

"_Keep focused," _Jacob commanded shortly.

I refused to acknowledge the tiny shiver of fear rippling down my spine and did what Jacob ordered. We were now running alongside the creek that wound it's way through the woods behind my house, keeping our noses close to the ground for any hint of the leech's scent while Jared and the others did the same. By the time the first, faint traces of it began to curl our noses, we were damn near in my back yard.

Sam and half of his Pack were already scouting the small area with the strongest scent by the time we joined them, and Jacob and Seth caught up with us there. It was frustrating as hell to only hear Jake's side of the conversation with Sam, and for the first time since I'd broken away from the La Push Pack, I was annoyed that I couldn't hear their thoughts. The only thing we'd figured out for certain was that Cyrus' stench was localized right here, with no trail leading in or out, and it was already a half and hour old. The bloody leech was most likely long gone by now.

Four hours later, neither Pack had any more to show for our search than sore paws and mounting frustration. Sam's Pack was still spread out over the Rez when Jake called our Pack to regroup at the source of the stench.

_"Jeez, what'd he do? Crawl up the creek underwater the whole way?" _Quil asked with expasperated fury as he flopped his enormous, shaggy body to the ground.

_ "Make sense," _I replied, deliberately ignoring the disturbing mental images of Cyrus doing just that. "_It'd be the easiest way to get in and out of the Rez without us picking up his scent."_

_ "Christ. Why didn't any of us think of this before? He's probably been getting in and out of the Rez this whole time, just lurking around underwater and laughing his frozen ass off at us!" _Embry snarled angrily.

Seth freaked out, and I was grateful for it. My own whispered and sternly repressed freak-out was effectively buried by his, and Quil was freaking out a bit himself. Embry's thoughts were dark, half-hidden and repressed as my own, and without focusing intently on him, I couldn't make out much more than a general feeling of anger and worry.

"_Calm down, guys," _Jake suddenly cut in. "_We're gonna get this asshole- it's what we're designed for, and we're good at it. We've just got to wait it out until he makes a mistake. Then we move in and take the bastard out."_

Silence tinged with doubt and anxiety followed his thoughts. I forced myself to feel confident and calm, and hoped none of them would notice the little tongue of fear licking at the back of my thoughts.

"_Jake's right. Cyrus already made his first mistake today, letting us know how he's been hiding. It's just a matter of time."_

_ "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lee," _Jake grinned a wolfy grin at me, then cocked his enormous, shaggy head to one side. "_You know, I distinctly remember you being under orders not to phase..."_

_ "Sod off, oh Mighty Alpha. It was an emergency. I wasn't going to stand there like a damsel in distress," _I replied defiantly. Four different, but equally bizarre and hilarious, mental images of me as a 'damsel in distress' hit me simultaneously, making all of us snort with laughter.

_"Right. Enough wasting time," _Jacob said shortly, reigning in his amusement sternly. "_Seth and I will stay here and see if we can find any other trace of our bloodsucker. You three-" _he nodded his head at Quil, Embry, and I- "_head back to the Cullen's and let them know what's going on."_

_ "What, no lectures?" _I replied, faintly surprised. The smugness suddenly radiating off of Jake made me instantly nervous.

"_Naw. I'll leave that to Carlisle."_

Ooooh, that asshole! He laughed at me as Quil, Embry and I took off for the Cullen's, but his thoughts were fully focused on the hunt before we'd reached the borderline.

Quil offered to stay in Wolf-form once we reached the Vamp mansion, which left Embry and I free to phase back into our human skin. It took a fair amount of will-power and gritted teeth for me to force my aching bones to shift, not that I would readily admit that to anyone.

Embry caught up with me as I headed to the house, bare-chested as usual and looking uncharacteristically serious. The memories of just what we had been doing before Cyrus' scent had been discovered on the Rez suddenly flooded back to me full-force. My mouth went dry, and my steps faltered just enough to catch Embry's notice.

He stopped and turned towards me, his dark, serious eyes searching mine out. I felt a moment of sheer panic. He wasn't thinking about what I was, was he? For the love of all that was holy, _please _don't let him try to talk to me about it! I wanted to scream at him that it was nothing. It meant nothing. It was just a mistake, and it wouldn't happen again! I settled for cutting him off feverishly instead as he opened his mouth.

"I can't believe none of us even thought about Cyrus using the creeks to get in and out of the Rez. And just how the hell are we supposed to stop him?"

"B, we've got to talk-" Embry cut in, but I ignored him and started walking towards the big, white house with steps as fast as the words pouring out of my mouth.

"Carlisle is probably going to kill me for phasing. But now that I have, Jake better not try to stop me from patrolling, because I-"

"Leah-" Embry tried again, and I turned to face him with a half-pleading, half-defiant look.

"I really should get in there and have the vamp doc check me out," I stated, and my voice sounded curiously flat and emotionless in the damp air. We stared at each other for several long, silent moments. Finally, Embry clenched his fists and looked away.

"Okay," he said softly, and I felt immensely, irrationally, and unbelievably relieved.

"Okay," I replied, and I couldn't keep the lightness out of my voice. He glanced at me and blew out a heavy breath, but he followed me silently into the Cullen's house.

I felt like I'd dodged a silver bullet. For now.


	26. Losing

**Losing**

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**AN:**_ Once again, HUGE THANK YOUs to everyone who took the time to read through this story so far. And for those of you who reviewed, if I could give you all a big shiny star, I would. Sorry again for the delay. I'm a slow poster, I guess, but I promise that I will finish this story. It's getting somewhat close to the end... I think. Damn muses won't give me a clear answer on where, exactly, this thing is going. _

_Oh, please forgive typos and etc. I am not on speaking terms with grammer and proof-reading at the moment. _

_Hope this chappie was worth the wait!_

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I had seriously pissed off whoever or whatever controlled the cosmos. There was no other explanation for the craptacular sewage dump of my life. Let's recap, shall we?

My oh-so-devoted boyfriend ditched me for my cousin (who now expects me to be a cheerful, supportive bridesmaid), I furploded into a giant, shaggy wolf, and my dad died all within a year. That's like a trifecta of horrible or something.

I go out one time- _one freaking time_- to have fun, and what happens? I end up with a creepy, obsessive stalker that wants to kill me. Or turn me into some kind of twisted pet. I can't get a clear answer out of Edward or Jasper on that one. So, now I've had to quit my job and give up any semblence of freedom or privacy because I can't even go to the _bathroom_ without somebody knocking on the door to make sure Cyrus wasn't hiding behind the shower curtain to nab me or something. It's fucking _ridiculous. _

I have the most moronic Alpha ever born, and the scariest woman on the North American continent for a mother. The result of that combination? A mom on a rage-and-worry fueled rampage after finding out about my little stalker-problem from the aforementioned moronic Alpha. Thank god Jake's few and seldom-working brain cells actually kicked into gear and stopped him from telling my mother _all _the unpleasant details- although Carlisle still had to step in and calm her down with some clever not-quite-lies about Cyrus and our situation. She became _almost _liveable again once that she thought Cyrus was just some random Vamp who merely happened to catch me alone, and now we were working on hunting him down.

And, as if numbers 1-3 weren't bad enough, in a weak moment of insanity and repressed sexual frustration, I went and tried to jump my best friend's bones. I might've succeeded, too, if it weren't for Obsessive-Stalker-Freak Cyrus and his horrible timing. Or maybe it was _good _timing... I couldn't decide. On the one hand, it was _good, _because just by _kissing _Embry, I'd stepped way over the line of 'Okay and Acceptable Behavior of "Just Friends"'. And, just to make things even worse, I couldn't get the memory of his hands sliding up my sides and his lips grazing my neck out of my mind. Blame it on years of complete and utter celibacy, but I physically _ached _for more. Sweet lord, could anyone blame me? Embry Call was one fine specimen of beautiful maleness, and he was- literally- at my fingertips. And that is exactly why I couldn't decide if Cyrus' scent showing up wasn't actually a _bad _thing. Maybe, just maybe, if things had gone a teensy bit farther, I wouldn't be feeling all sexually repressed and frustrated and jonesing after the one decent guy in my life.

Add all that shit together, and voila- you get me in my current predicament. Here I was in Port Angeles' one and only bridal shop, terrified of leaving the safety of my dressing room for fear that one of my Packmates (okay, mainly Embry) would see me in this... this _thing _that was supposed to be a pretty bridesmaid dress... all the while knowing that in less than a month, I'd have to walk down an aisle wearing it for all of La Push to see. I would've been suspicious of Emily just getting a sneaky bit of pay-back for all my bitchiness of the past few years, but Kim and Rachel were being forced to wear it, too.

She usually had such good taste in clothes. Well, okay. _Decent _taste, at least. I realize I had been spoiled by Alice and Rosalie, and my new-found love of haute couture, but this... this was just _bad_.

Orange. Who the hell picks _orange_ for their wedding color? Correction- orange and _brown. _Granted, Emily had been planning for a fall wedding, but still. Orange and brown? Puke me up.

I picked at the mid-thigh length, rusched, skirt (complete with a brown, Flaminco-dancer double ruffle, no less!) with a despairing grimace before trying, yet again, to readjust the strapless top into a semi-flattering position. No matter what I did, the stupid brown band of silky fabric holding the dress in place around my torso refused to do anything but squish my boobs either up until they looked like they were going to topple right out of the dress, or push them down at a weird angle. And the huge, brown bow that sat right below my butt above the ruffles? Yeah, that sucker had to go.

For the love of all things cute and cuddly, was Emily on medication when she picked out this hideous abomination?

There was a light tap on my dressing room door before Embry's low voice reached my ears.

"Hey, you okay in there, B?"

"No," I replied bleakly. "No, I definitely am _not."_

Before I could stop him, Embry whipped open the door, slid inside, and shut it silently behind himself. His dark, chocolate eyes latched immediately onto mine, full of concern, and I had to fight the now-familiar urge to just jump his adorable ass right there.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently. I glared at him.

"What's _wrong? _Just _look _at this thing!" I gestured wildly at the orange and brown mess sheathing me. "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my entire life, and I'm going to have to walk down the aisle in front of _everybody_ wearing it. Good god, hasn't my life been shitty enough without throwing _this _into the mix?"

"That's it? You're worried about your dress?" Embry asked, and there was a mixture of incredulity and relief in his voice. I scowled at him, before turning to stare despairingly at my reflection once more.

"This thing is a nightmare. It's like the designer puked up on a piece of paper, and some moronic intern thought it was supposed to be a dress design."

Embry's low chuckle vibrated across the tiny room. "It's not that bad, B."

"Not that bad?" I demanded. "What kind of dress can simultaneously make your butt look enormous _and _flat at the same time? Oh, and is designed to make sure your boobs look as weird as possible _and _threatens to fall completely off if you wiggle around to much?"

I huffed angrily and jerked at the top of my dress once more in a futile attempt to fix it, then threw up my hands in exasperation. One little step brought Embry face to face with me, but he was frowning at the brown band now hiked up under my armpits.

"It won't look weird if it's in the right position. Here, let me try..." he muttered, still frowning with concentration while his long, lean fingers reached out to start tugging gently at the top of my dress.

The tips of his fingers brushed my skin, and every nerve ending in my body jolted awake and stood up at attention. Thank god the fabric of the dress wasn't smooth, or Embry would've noticed my twins saluting him eagerly. I mentally repeated all the reasons why, exactly, it would be a terrible idea to seduce the boy right then and there, and when I ran out of those, cleared my throat nervously.

"See? I told you this dress is some kind of torture device," I managed to get out from my dry throat. The side of Embry's mouth twisted up into a grin.

"It's not that horrible, B."

I snorted. "Oh, really? Name me one good thing about it."

Embry leaned back slightly, his lean fingers still on the top of my dress, and examined it critically. "Well... it proves my theory that you'd look good in anything."

His eyes flickered up to meet mine, and I bit my lip to fight back a sudden urge to cry. His gaze shifted to my mouth, and time suddenly slowed, then ground to a halt. My heart thumped erratically as his right hand moved up to cup my face. I felt the calloused pad of his thumb brush across my lips, and my eyes drifted shut involuntarily.

His mouth, soft and warm, and oh, so very gentle, brushed across mine, and I leaned forward instinctively to deepen the contact. It felt like heaven, like I'd been waiting for an eternity, when his tongue finally slipped past my lips and tangled with my own.

The fingers of his left hand were still hooked into the top of my dress, and the heat from his palm seeped through the fabric over the already- erect nub, making me ache wildly for his touch. It could've been because he moved a fraction of an inch closer, or it could've been because I arched toward him, but his palm suddenly pressed into my breast, and I couldn't stop the low moan that escaped my throat. I arched even farther into his hand, encouraging the way he gently squeezed, as if unsure whether or not I would slap his hand away.

Huh. There was no way in hell I was going to slap his hand away. I knew I _should_. I was well aware of just how bad this was, but my body had kicked all my logic and common sense to the curb. The animal side of me, the one that acknowledged the absolute primal need for Embry's touch, was firmly in control.

Dammit, why did hoity-toity places like this bridal shop have to have a strict no-shirt, no-service policy? Embry's shirt was most definitely in the way. I wanted to feel his over-heated skin against my palms... and my mouth. Deftly, I grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up impatiently. After two tugs, Embry caught on to what I wanted, and broke contact just long enough to yank it over his head and toss it to the floor.

Skin! Glorious, smooth, hot skin! My fingers danced across the muscles of his back and shoulders, bringing out a shuddering groan from deep inside his chest.

Suddenly, his hands slid up the outside of my thighs underneath my dress, and I was hoisted off my feet slightly as he pressed my back into the cold mirror behind me. My shock lasted about 0.02 seconds before I wrapped my legs around him, totally uncaring that my skirt was pushed up around my hips. All I really cared about was the way his fingers dug into my thighs, pressing me closer, and the feel of his fiery tongue burning a trail down the column of my throat.

I arched up hard against him, craving contact, as he pushed me even harder against the mirror. His right hand snaked around to cup my backside and support my weight, while his other hand slid up my side to brush against the underside of my breast.

You know that expression that everything melts away, and the two of you are the only people left in the entire world? Yeah... I _totally _spaced the fact that the hottest make-out session of my entire life was taking place in a cramped dressing room surrounded by my entire Pack (and most of Sam's), not to mention all the imprint girls minus Nessie. So when Rachel Black knocked loudly on the door, my heart almost jumped out of my throat and into Embry's mouth. I think he was just as shocked as me, because if my legs hadn't been wrapped so tightly around his hips, he would've dropped me flat on my butt.

"Yeah! Uh- just a sec," I shouted through the door, trying to unravel myself from Embry in a complete panic.

"Is everything okay in there?" Rachel's concerned voice asked.

I desperately tried to smooth out my crumpled ruffles and straighten my dress. "Yeah, it's great. I'll be out in a minute!"

Her footsteps headed out of the dressing area, and Embry and I heaved identical sighs of relief. I couldn't even look him in the face as I hastily smoothed my mussed hair and tried to calm down my speed-racing pulse.

Sweet mother of mercy, I'd just done it _again_. The man says one nice thing to me, and I try to rape him. ... Okay, that was a bit extreme. I mean, he wasn't exactly protesting, which just made everything harder.

Heh. Harder. Just like-

_No. _I did not just go there. But, bloody hell, Fed Ex could deliver _that _package to my door any day.

Ugh. My thinking privledges for the day had just been cut off.

"I'd better get out there before somebody else comes looking for me," I mumbled as I flipped a glance somewhere in the vicinity of his chest since I still couldn't meet his eyes. He gave a vague grunt, and I couldn't help but smirk a little as I cracked open the door and slipped out.

"Might wanna put your shirt on the right way before you come out, Tank," I whispered to him, and shut the door on his muttered curse and bright red ears.

Emily was in the main room, absolutely glowing in her white gown with her bridesmaids and flowergirl surrounding her. I had to admit that she looked completely perfect as she stood there radiating happiness and excitement out of every pore. And I...

I didn't feel much of anything.

There was the usual sting of sadness and that familiar longing to be just a normal girl again, but... it wasn't the acid-in-the-wound burn I was expecting. Sure, I absolutely hated the thought of having to be out in public in the hideous dress I was currently wearing, and I knew that the actual wedding, with her standing in the place next to Sam where I'd once believed I'd be, would hurt like a bitch. But right now? I had bigger things to worry about. Like the off-limits hottie currently turning his shirt right-side out and attempting to sneak out of my dressing room without being seen.

I'm pretty sure I smiled and said all the right things to Emily. Her enthusiasm didn't waver for a moment, so I couldn't have done anything _too _horrible, anyway. Could I help it if I was a bit distracted? Parts of my anatomy were loudly protesting the smexy make-out session interruption, and the rest of me was on high alert for Embry to show up.

Jake sauntered over to me after Emily went to go change out of her dress. I scowled automatically at the giant smirk on his face.

"Nice dress," he chuckled. I socked him in the gut.

"Don't act like I have a choice in this, you ass-monkey. Here, take a picture of it so I can send it to Rosalie."

I struck a porn star pose, and Jacob obligingly took the pic for me, still laughing. It only took Rose about five seconds to respond.

_"Christ, it's hideous! That thing made Alice go catatonic. One point to Emily."_

Jake and I burst out laughing just as Embry, Quil, and Seth walked in and joined us. Before I could show the text to them, my phone rang. The number was my home phone, and I frowned, wondering why Mom was at our house when she was supposed to be working a twelve hour day shift at the hospital.

I flipped it open hastily. "Hello?"

_"Why, hello, my dear Lady Wolf."_

My fingers spasmed convulsively around the phone as a spiral of fear curled through my stomach. That cold, genteel voice- How the hell was Cyrus calling me _from my own house? _

_"Surprised? You really shouldn't be, you know," _he continued, I could hear the amusement in his voice. My Pack had heard his voice, and I found myself in the middle of a tight, deathly silent circle.

"Cyrus," I ground out through my clenched teeth. "What the fuck-"

"_Now, now. Language, my pet."_

"_Fuck you, _you asshole. What the fuck do you want?" I spat out, unconsciously pressing the phone painfully hard against my ear with a shaking hand.

"_What do I want? You, obviously. But today, I'll settle for learning more about you," _he chuckled.

"What-?"

_"I've thoroughly enjoyed going through your things, my lovely Leah Suzannah Clearwater. Your existence simply fascinates me."_

_ "_Yeah? Your existence simply _disgusts_ me." I retorted. Childish, I know, but my brain wasn't exactly functioning beyond the _'must kill the leech'_ thought on repeat.

_"Unfortunately, I must run before your little friends find me here. But don't worry, my pet. We'll see each other very soon." _

That threat, uttered in a perfectly pleasant, friendly voice, echoed loud and clear in my ear before he cut off the call. Embry's hand wrapped tightly around my upper arm, like he was afraid I'd suddenly be yanked away from them as we stood in a tight group in the lobby of Port Angeles' premier bridal shop. I didn't mind; it grounded me to the here and now instead of allowing the dark pit of fear and anger swirling inside me to swallow me whole.

Still silent, all five of us moved as one flowing unit out the door to Jake and Embry's cars. Paul and Jared, lounging just outside the shop with a handful of their Packmates, jumped to their feet as we streamed past, and Jacob's six muttered words- "Cyrus just called from _Leah's house_"- were like setting off a bomb. I kind of felt bad for Emily. Her picture-perfect fitting day was now ruined as everyone freaked out from one tiny phone call.

My house was supposed to be _guarded. _Sam left three of the young Wolves there specifically for that purpose, not to mention the other three running patrol along the border. _Where were they? _None of us voiced our worries, but I could read it as clear as black ink all over everyone's faces.

The Wolf in me rebelled against sliding into the passenger seat next to Embry as he revved the engine and sped off toward La Push as fast as the old Ford could go. That part wanted to be tearing through the trees in hot pursuit, not trapped inside a tiny, beat up car. I knew some of Sam's Pack was already doing just that, and I envied them the forest air whipping through their fur.

My cell phone splintered into several pieces in my clenched hands, and the noise cracked through the silence in the car. In the backseat, Seth jumped at the sound and cursed as I blinked dumbly at the broken chunks and the small cuts quickly healing on my palms. Embry's large, calloused hand reached over and grasped one of mine tightly.

I glanced over at him, but his eyes were firmly on the road, his strong jaw was clenched shut, and his other hand gripped the steering wheel with a white-knuckled grip. He didn't say anything, and I was grateful for that. I didn't want to hear any stupid cliches about how everything was going to be alright, and I most definitely didn't want him to ask if _I _was alright. Because I wasn't, and I didn't want to make it any more obvious than I already had.

Colin came flying out of the woods to meet us as Embry squealed the car to a halt in my driveway. Jacob's Rabbit avoided smacking the Ford's bumper by mere centimeters as he slammed to a halt as well, and all five of us were out and crowded around Colin instantly.

"The sneaky bastard's disappeared _again_," he exclaimed angrily over our jumbled questions. "I'm sorry, guys. He left us a bogus trail about a mile from here, and we fell for it. By the time we figured it out, he'd already been here and gone."

"So nobody got hurt?" Jacob asked immediately, with the same relief in his voice that was reflected on all our faces. Colin just shook his head with a self-directed scowl.

"Naw, man. We didn't even _see _the guy."

The poor kid looked so utterly miserable over it, I just couldn't bring myself to be pissed off at him. At Cyrus, and Fate, and the world in general, _hell yes. _But not a handful of high school boys that were trying their best against an opponent with centuries of experience.

I wanted to say something, one little sentence to let him know I wasn't holding him or any of his Packmates responsible, but I just couldn't get my voice to cooperate. I hadn't said a word since speaking to Cyrus; it was like my throat was stuffed with steel wool and fear.

Silently, I brushed past the boys and headed for my front door. I knew it was all in my head, but the doorknob felt unnaturally cold underneath my palm, and I shivered as it twisted it and threw the door open.

The leech's stench was _everywhere. _In the kitchen, all over the living room, the furniture, _everything_. Slowly, my nose curling in disgust, I made my way through the house and up the narrow staircase to my bedroom. I knew my Pack was trailing faithfully behind me, and the feel of their hulking warmth was a welcome distraction from the horror and anger twisting in the pit of my stomach.

I took a handful of seconds to steady the tremors quaking the bones under my skin before lifting my hand to push my bedroom door open.

The stench hit me like a noxious cloud, and it took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to phase. I could hear Quil gagging and doing his best not to retch, but I ignored him and moved slowly forward into my room.

Cyrus hadn't been joking when he said he enjoyed going through my things. Drawers had been opened, the contents jumbled, photo albums, yearbooks, momentos, every bit of my personal life rifled through and handled by _him_. And on my bed, carefully laid out, was a slim, red, leather dog collar with a matching leash. A_ collar, _complete with a metal tag dangling from it inscribed with _'Lady Wolf' _in flowery script. With a shaking hand, I picked up the folded note laying next to it and flipped it open to read the perfect calligraphy.

_'I prefer you in red.'_

The god damned _bastard. _

None of the boys behind me said a word as I suddenly ripped the sheets and covers off my bed and balled them up with the horrible 'gift' from Cyrus jumbled into the middle of it. Breathing hard, trembling fiercely, I stalked past them all to the window in the hall that looked out over my backyard. With one hand, I forced it open and ripped out the screen, then pushed the wadded up mess of blankets through it. It fell with a sad plop onto the grass, and I swiftly headed back to my room to grab more of anything, _everything_, that that cursed bloodsucker had touched. I'd dumped two more armloads out of the window before any of the boys even moved.

Embry stepped up first, and I had a hazy thought in the back of my head that if he tried to stop me, I'd punch him in the face. But he merely picked up my mattress and started carrying it silently out of the room. After that, the other three seemed to catch on, and started grabbing whatever had Cyrus' stench clinging to it to throw onto the growing pile in the backyard. Quil rushed around opening all the windows, and the five of us moved systematically through the house, emptying it of almost all of its contents in grim silence.

Most of my life history was tossed onto that pile. My insides felt hollow, like Cyrus had stolen away a chunk of me that I would never be able to get back again. I _hated _him for that. I hated him with every miniscule cell in my freakishly unnatural body. And there was _nothing _I could do about it. It pissed me off so badly, I was seeing double from the effort it took not to phase.

Still silent, I stalked back into the house, conscious of the watchful, wary eyes of my Packmates, and grabbed the ancient bottles of Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan from under the kitchen sink.

"Getting drunk's not really gonna help things, Leah," Seth began timidly, but faltered under my black glare.

Back outside once more, I smashed the necks of the bottles open and began dumping them all over the reeking pile of all that had made up my life to that point. Embry disappeared into the garage and came back with the gas tank from our lawnmower and joined me. The sharp, pungent scent of the gasoline helped to blot out Cyrus' invasive stench, and I welcomed it.

Jacob produced a matchbook from who-knew-where, and pressed it into my hand wordlessly. Swiftly, before I could stop to think, or really look at the broken mound of things in front of me, I struck a match and tossed it into the pile.

The flames lept up greedily, roaring and twisting away into the sullen, grey sky. The heat on my face was too much. It matched the burning in my soul and made my dry throat ache with the fierceness of it. And I knew with the clarity of one of Alice's visions that the heat and smoke with draw Sam, and Emily, and countless others, and my silent facade would crumble under their looks of pity.

So I did what I was good at. I ran.

Once I hit the woods, I shifted without bothering to strip out of my clothes. My brain, like my voice had been, was strangely silent. I didn't know where I was running, and I didn't care. I was simply running _away_, and it didn't matter that I could be running straight into Cyrus himself. Better that than this kind of existence, this constant state of terror, this slow stripping of away of everything I'd worked to become. If he was going to kill me, then I wanted it done with already. And I wanted to take a chunk of him to hell with me just like he'd taken a piece of me away with him.

But I _couldn't _run away from my life. And I couldn't just give in and let Cyrus win, either. I just didn't have it in me.

I stumbled to a halt and realized dimly that I was only on the far side of Forks. And with that realization came the feeling of Embry's reassuring, silent company. His large, dark Wolf-form eased out of the woods and gave me a gentle nudge. I barely responded at all, in thoughts or movement, and he disappeared into the trees again. Moments later, he walked towards me again, in his human form this time, dressed only in his shorts and holding his large t-shirt out to me.

"Hey, B," he murmured, laying the shirt down on the leaves. "I'm gonna turn around so you can shift back, yeah?"

He walked away a few paces and dutifully turned around. I stood there, rigid, for a few long moments before finally complying. His t-shirt was drenched in his scent, and I took a moment to inhale it in an attempt to ground myself again. My arms wrapped around my chest tightly like they were holding my body together against the trembling that had nothing to do with shifting.

I suddenly found myself wrapped in Embry's thick, hot arms, and I pressed my face against the bare skin of his chest. He stood there, holding me, while I shivered and tried to blot out the memory of Cyrus' stench with his own woodsy musk.

"I _hate _him, Tank," I choked out finally. My voice sounded like I'd been screaming for eight hours straight. His arms pressed me closer to him.

"I do, too, B. I really, really do."

We lapsed into silence again. I have no idea how much time passed with us like that. I just know I stayed there, buried in his embrace, until the trembling stopped and I could think clearly once more.

"We'd better go find Alice and Esme and give them the good news," I finally sighed against Embry's chest. He pulled away just far enough to give me a seriously confused look.

"Good news?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Yeah. They get to redecorate my entire house. Oh, they'll act all sorry about it, but inside they'll be giddy as kids at Christmas."

Embry laughed then, and I even managed a smile as he took my hand and led me towards the Cullen's house.

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_**PS: **__I suck at writing the make-out session scenes. They always just end up so... awkward. That's what took me forever to write... sorry about that! _


	27. Revelations

_Ummm… Hello? Anyone out there still reading this? Yeah… I suck. Sorry. I won't even give you my excuses, because who really gives a flying monkey about them?At any rate, I'm very, very sorry._

_Forgive me? …No? Well, I don't blame you. Again, I suck. _

_If you're still reading this and still interested in this story, you deserve a medal and a parade and a smexy make-out session with the person of your choice. _

_Alright? Time for this bi-otch to shut up and deliver._

* * *

**REVELATIONS**

* * *

Rain. Steady, grey, depressing rain.

Wasn't rain on your wedding day supposed to be a bad omen? I contemplated feeling sorry for Emily as I watched the big, sullen drops slide down my bedroom window, but honestly, if that old wives' tale were true, almost every wedding held in La Push would be doomed. And with their perfect, imprinted love, a little bit of rain on Sam and Emily's wedding day wasn't going to make one bit of difference to their happiness.

The rain fit my mood, though. It drummed on the roof and echoed through my mostly empty house, almost drowning out the snoring of the Wolf boy sprawled out next to me on the bed. I wished it could drown out my thoughts. The chaotic jumble of memories and worries and wishes was enough to make me sick. The ugly orange and brown bridesmaid dress hanging on my closet door only made me feel more nauseous, so I stared resolutely out of the window at the steady splats of raindrops on the glass.

Ugh. The prospect of having to wear that thing out in public for all of La Push to see was downright horrifying.

My cell beeped, and I reached over to see a text message from Alice.

_"Are you absolutely positive that I can't get you ready for the wedding? What if I wear a full hazmat suit or something? Pleasepleaseplease?"_

I sighed. In an attempt to be super nice to Sam and the La Push Pack, all of us, including Jake, had stayed away from the Cullens for the last few days in order to eliminate the vampire smell for the wedding. And if Sam didn't appreciate the sacrifice, especially on Jake's part, to make things between our Packs as smooth as possible today, then I was going to make personally sure that he had to say 'I do' through a respirator.

_"Sorry, Alice. I'll come over for a full spa-day asap, k?" _I texted swiftly back. I'd barely hit the send button before I got another message, from Rose this time.

_"Don't know why you're all being so nice. Glad it's raining. Hope that bitch falls in a mud puddle."_

I grinned, my thumb tapping the letters quickly. _"LOL. Too bad she's not as clutzy as Bella."_

_ "Push her."_

God, I loved how it took her less than three seconds to respond with that. Grinning, I tossed my phone back onto the floor, but the smile faded before I'd even sat back against the headboard and tucked my knees under my chin.

"You okay, B?"

Embry's deep voice rumbled quietly through my thoughts, and I looked down to see his serious, brown eyes contemplating me. I forced my lips into a smile, but it felt strained and half-hearted even to me, and I could tell he saw right through it.

"I'm fine. Totally fine," I answered him quickly, trying to convince both of us with my words.

One of Embry's eyebrows arched, and he just stared at me in silence. I sighed and turned my unseeing gaze back to the rain-drenched window again. Embry pushed himself up to sit facing me, and I could feel his eyes boring intently into me. I started to get that tingling sensation again in the pit of my stomach, but I sternly told myself to ignore it.

"Uh huh. You gonna tell me what's really bothering you?" Embry finally asked into the silence stretching between us, and I almost choked on my own tongue.

Um, yeah. No. I most definitely was _not_ going to tell him what really was going on in my head. Didn't Embry realize that Sam and Emily, and their baby, and their wedding, were less of a problem for me right now than _he _was? That ever since those unbelievable moments in that dressing room and how he had held me afterwards, when I could barely think when Cyrus had invaded my home, I didn't know how I felt about him anymore or what it was I truly wanted from him? I'd managed to cut him off every time he'd tried to bring 'us' up ever since that day, but I didn't know how much longer I could keep it up.

I didn't even know what it was that I was so afraid would happen if we _did_ talk about it.

The only thing I knew for certain when it came to Embry was that I couldn't stop thinking about kissing him again. I wanted a repeat of the dressing room make-out scene so badly, I physically ached. I wanted to feel his hands on me again. I wanted to see that wild need on his face again and know that _I _was the one who put it there.

In short, I wanted something I was not supposed to have.

But I couldn't tell Embry any of that without looking like a deranged creeper, and I was certain he already thought I had multiple personalities as it was, what with me practically ripping his clothes off one minute, then acting like it had never happened the next. No, what I needed was a nice, safe excuse for my current mood, and the wedding was a perfect one.

"It's just… today is going to be really hard," I answered him slowly, and really, it was the truth. It just wasn't the main thing that was bothering me.

But it seemed like that was the wrong thing for me to say. Not a muscle on Embry's face moved, but it was like shutters being closed suddenly over brightly-lit windows. He was still there, friendly and supportive, and willing to listen, but it was like he'd shut me out of himself. I'd seen that look before, whenever something I said or did reminded him of my feelings for Sam. My _dead_ feelings for Sam. As much as I didn't understand it, the fact that Embry obviously still thought that I loved Sam hurt me so deeply, it was a physical ache in my chest.

"It's not the wedding. Or Sam and Emily," I tried to clarify. "I just don't want to see everyone's _pity_ when they look at me. 'Oh, look at poor Leah. She must be so heartbroken, blah, blah, blah'. Especially when I don't need their pity! I don't _care_ that Sam and Emily are getting married and are gonna live happily ever after with their dozens of fat babies. It doesn't matter- _he_ doesn't matter to me anymore, and I-"

"You really mean that, don't you?" Embry broke in abruptly. The blank, shuttered look was gone, replaced by a look I couldn't define, and I scowled to hide my relief.

"Damn straight I do! I just-"

But I was cut off as his hot mouth suddenly crushed mine. I was too shocked to even comprehend what was happening for a few moments, but I found myself inexplicably on Embry's lap, pressed up against him and kissing him back for all I was worth. Days- _weeks_- of pent-up passion exploded, and I couldn't have stopped myself from responding to his urgent hands if I wanted to. Hell, if _he _stopped, I would have begged him shamelessly to keep going.

Embry didn't need much encouraging, though. His hands felt as desperate as mine, and when he pushed me back onto the bed, I had no arguments. Hot, calloused fingers found their way under the hem of my tanktop, and I squirmed with delight and impatience as he slowly worked his way higher.

_Damn_, but the man knew how to kiss! His lips broke away from mine, leaving me panting and shivering, to burn a hot trail across my neck. Teeth grazed my earlobe at the same moment that his hands _finally _reached their destination, and there was no way in the seven hells I could've stopped from gasping and arching into him. My legs wrapped themselves tightly around his hips, and he pressed hard against me, pushing me deeper into the mattress and making me gasp again. I couldn't remember ever feeling like this with anyone before. Granted, I wasn't exactly thinking all that clearly, but I'd never felt this intense, burning passion, or felt such a rush of power knowing that I was creating the same feeling in someone else. The way that Embry touched me, kissed me, told me he wanted me just as badly as I wanted him, and it made my head spin.

Maybe that was why the furious pounding on my door didn't register at first; I thought it was just the sound of my heart pounding away. But then it happened again, and whoever was doing the pounding was in danger of literally beating it down.

"Will you two just stop it already?" Seth's voice boomed through the door, and it sounded like he was going to furplode. "I'm gonna vomit! And Leah, you're late, so get your ass in the shower!"

Holy. Freaking. Shit. There is nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_ more incredibly awkward than being yelled at by your (surprisingly angry) baby brother, while the sexy hot guy you'd just been about to tear the clothes off of is still on top of you with his hands wedged up your shirt. I couldn't even look Embry in the face as we both scrambled to get away from each other and off the bed. My pride demanded that I say something cool and nonchalant, just to show him that this whole thing was no big deal to me, but the best I could manage was an incoherent mumble as I darted for the door.

I was so flustered, I couldn't even come up with something to snap at Seth's retreating back as he stomped off down the stairs. The only thing I really wanted to do was get into the bathroom and hide until I could douse the raging hormones and get back to the normal, bitchy, in-control Leah Clearwater everyone expected me to be.

The cold water streaming over me helped to clear my thoughts, and I leaned my head against the tiles in frustration. Just what in the hell was going on with me? I wanted Embry, god how I wanted him, but it was more than that. I didn't want to know what the 'more' was. I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to complicate things further between the two of us. I just wanted everything to go back to normal, whatever that was.

And what the hell was up with Seth? Banging on my door like a shotgun-wielding, overprotective dad! Jeez, I was totally going to beat the living shit out of him for embarrassing me that badly, and-

I was jolted out of my thoughts by a bang so loud that the walls shook. Heart pounding in my throat, I hopped out of the shower, dried, and dressed in record time, with my brain frantically spewing out the stupidest, most irrational worst-case-scenario explanations. By the time I'd flown down the stairs and skidded into the kitchen, I was expecting to see Cyrus standing there, casually inspecting the blown-up chunks of my Packmates.

Instead, I found Jacob and Quil calmly shoveling cereal into their big mouths and my back door cracked in several places and hanging precariously off its hinges.

"What the hell happened to my door?" I shrieked, then paused at the faint sound of snarling growls. "And where are Seth and Embry?"

Jacob jerked his head towards the woods and the snarls. "Out there. And you can thank Seth for the broken door."

"Wait- are they _fighting_? Aren't you going to stop them?" I demanded, heading over to the window to peer out anxiously. Jake and Quil glanced at each other, eyebrows raised, before turning their attention back to their cereal.

"Well, if _you're _not going to stop them, then _I_ am!" I huffed angrily.

"Actually, you probably want to just let them work this out for themselves," Jake replied, somehow managing to make the words intelligible around a mouthful of food. He jumped up and steered me out of the kitchen before I could protest, or even smack him across the head for being disgusting.

"Anyway, you're already late, and Emily's gonna have kittens if you don't get over there, so grab your stuff and let's get moving," he ordered, pushing me towards the stairs.

"You're seriously going to just let Seth and Tank rip each other to shreds out there?" I demanded.

"Yep. And you are, too," he replied, then pointed towards my room with a mock-serious expression. "Those two idiots will be just fine after they work out their little… disagreement, so don't make me Alpha-command your ass to get that fugly dress and get over to Emily's house.."

I pulled a face at him, but ran upstairs to get the so-called 'fugly dress', which, quite frankly, was an insult to the word fugly. It really was a damn shame the dress shop had been able to rush order another one in for me, considering the last one had been shredded when I furploded.

I still wanted to head out to the woods to find out what was going on with Seth and Embry, but what could I do with Jake threatening to Alpha-command me besides head on over to Emily's house with Quil? At least the lingering memory of the feeling of Embry's hands was a serious, and unwelcome, distraction. Damn Seth and his horrible, cock-blocking interrupting.

I had been dreading the twittering, pre-wedding girly atmosphere, but Emily and Claire's mother Anne seemed to be the only ones in that kind of mood when I got to the house. Emily's mom had never liked Sam to begin with, so I, knowing my aunt Julia well, could tell instantly that she was smiling only for her daughter's benefit. Rachel Black, already dressed and ready, was being her normal bossy self. Taking charge of every little detail of everything apparently didn't leave any room for giggling and giddy behavior. I deliberately avoided her while I quickly changed into the hideous brown and orange atrocity and shoved my feet into the equally ugly and uncomfortable shoes. Oh, what I wouldn't have given for a pair of Jimmy Choo's or Manolos right then.

Once dressed, I smiled and said all the right things, and tried to blend into the wall and pretend I wasn't there. Emily kept bouncing from person to person, sailing back and forth in front of me in her white wedding dress, glowing with happiness. And I-

I finally realized that I really, truly, _didn't care one bit._

It didn't bother me that she was getting married to Sam. It didn't matter that she was pregnant and going to be living a life I couldn't have. All of that was totally insignificant compared to the one giant and overwhelming problem I was now facing.

Embry.

What did I feel for him? Friendship? Lust? Or something much, much deeper? No. No, I couldn't. I was way to smart for that. He was a Wolf. There was no possible way I could be that stupid.

Could I?

"Here. You look like you need this more than me."

The words, quietly muttered out of nowhere made me jump and look around wildly. Kim, wearing the same hideous dress as me, stood next to me, nudging my elbow with a small, silver flask. She watched Emily flitting around with a bored, semi-annoyed expression, and I took the flask with a wry smile of thanks. Of all the imprintees, Kim was by far and away my favorite.

"I cannot believe that bitch had the nerve to ask you to be a bridesmaid. I mean, what the flying fuck. Just because she's fucking pregnant, she thinks everyone should do whatever she wants. You've got a broke-ass Quilete kid in your uterus, bitch, not god damned royalty," she snorted under her breath suddenly, then took the flask from me, took a sip, and handed it back.

You see why I like her? I'd always thought she was just a quiet, shy girl, but then I wolfed out, got into Jared's head, and found out she was all kinds of freaky. Like pole-dancing and contortionism were her two hobbies freaky. For real. And yeah, Jared was one lucky asshole.

"I'm surprised she asked you, too," I replied after taking a generous sip from the flask myself. It's not like Emily and Kim had ever even pretended to be great friends. Emily had always treated her with a kind of condescending pity, like she thought that no guy would have ever paid attention to the quiet girl without the 'magic' of imprinting, and Kim hid behind her faked shy routine and secretly despised her. Maybe my liking her had a teeny bit to do with the fact that she thought Emily was a selfish, egotistical bitch.

"I'm only here to fill numbers. It's not like the she has any real friends after she ran after Sam like that," Kim stated. "The muffin-baking whore."

Giggling, I took another swig before handing the flask back to her. She nodded, apparently having said enough for one day, and wandered off again, looking bored. My phone beeped, and I dug around in the brown purse/pouch hybrid thing that was Emily's lame idea of a bridesmaid gift and pulled it out.

"_How u holding up girl?"_ I smiled at the text from Rose, remembering how she had said she was going to skip out of patrolling the borders for us so she could be home alone in case I needed to talk. Of course, she'd used a whole lot more snark and a few snide insults when she told Jake she wouldn't be doing any 'doggie guard duty' just so 'douchebag and douchebaggette" could get married with both Packs present.

"_Bored but ok. Gonna burn this entire outfit when I get home tho." _I texted back.

"_Burning is too good for that sorry excuse for a dress. Keep me updated ok?"_

Rachel called out that the boys were there with the cars, and it was time for us to get to the wedding. I texted a quick _'k'_ back to Rose, and plastered on my game face. There was a crazy amount of fuss over getting Emily into the car without getting any mud on her dress (I saw Kim sneakily splash some muddy water onto the hem and decided that if there was ever a Pack war, I would spare Jared just to make her happy) before any of us lowly bridesmaids could climb into a car ourselves. Rachel and Kim piled into a car with Jared and Paul- surprise, surprise!- and I found myself crowded into the backseat of Jake's Rabbit between Embry and Seth while Quil pouted in the front with Jake because he couldn't ride with Claire.

"Are you two over your little spat now?" I demanded the two hulking behemoths currently squishing me between them. They both looked a little sheepish, but grinned at each other.

"Yeah. It's all good now. Just a… misunderstanding," Seth replied quickly.

At my side, Embry nodded in agreement, and I did my best to ignore how much of his body was touching mine. I didn't look at him, _couldn't _look at him, because I was afraid of what I would feel when I did.

Even when we reached the hall, I managed to scoot out after Seth and keep my head down as I ran out of the rain and joined the other girls clustering around Emily. I chalked it up to my imagination, but I could swear I actually _felt _Embry's eyes following me. I couldn't muster up the courage to turn around to see if I was right.

Call me a coward, because that's what I am.

Things started happening fast then, too fast. We were all lined up, barked into place by a flustered Rachel, and before I could catch my breath, I found myself walking down the aisle towards the front of the hall.

_Deep breaths, deep breaths. Head up, and __**smile**__, dammit. _

I looked up, and saw Sam standing at the front, and my heart didn't even miss a beat. Not even one tiny jolt. He could've been any random stranger off the street for all I cared. All those hours spent worrying about the pain I would feel on his wedding day were over in that brilliant instant. I was free. Free, free, _free!_

My smile grew as I looked around at the gathered crowd of people. I saw the old gossiping biddies whispering behind their hands, and it only made me hold my head up higher. Let them talk, because it couldn't make one ounce of difference to me. I saw my fan boys from Sam's Pack jostling each other to get a better look at me, and I had to bite back a bout of giggles.

That's right boys. I'm so hot I can rock even _this _travesty of a dress.

And then there was my Pack. The goofs were all encouraging smiles and worried eyes. I waggled my eyebrows at them just to show that they had no need to be concerned about me anymore, and the effect was immediate. Quil and Seth looked like they wanted to hug each other and squeal like little girls. Jake's grin was so wide that it looked painful, and he mouthed a _'Looking good!'_ at me. And Embry-

My eyes caught his, and I could no longer lie to myself.

I loved Embry.

I had loved him for months. Deep down, I knew I'd known it all along and hadn't had the guts to admit it even to myself. And I knew, in that instant, that compared to how I loved Embry, what I'd felt for Sam had been nothing more than pathetic, childish infatuation. If I lived a thousand years and never saw my Tank again, I'd still love him as much as I did now. And I could never, never love another man besides him.

I was so screwed.

* * *

_I know, right? Ridiculously short, especially for the first chapter in a few years. It was just… the perfect place to end the chapter. On the upside, the next chappie's half written, so bonus, right? Sigh. I'll be expecting flames, because I deserve them. _


End file.
